


Force of Nature

by heatherlynn22



Category: Javier Pena - Fandom, Narcos (TV)
Genre: Dark Past, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Office Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:32:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 95,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24704620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heatherlynn22/pseuds/heatherlynn22
Summary: After his promotion, Javíer Peña returns to Colombia to take down the Cali cartel. How will he handle meeting someone who changes his life and give him something to live for besides his job.Takes place during the 3rd season of Narcos.
Relationships: Javier Peña/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 92





	1. Back to Bogotá

Javíer Peña tried to get more comfortable in his seat as he flew first class back to Bogotá, but it was nearly impossible for him to calm his mind and settle down. It had been weeks, but he still had a hard time adjusting to the fact he was still a DEA agent. Javí had been fully prepared to accept his fate and hand in his badge the second he was recalled from Columbia to Washington. But, in the end, that didn't happen. Instead, his superiors surprised him with, of all things, a fucking promotion.

It felt like yesterday that Judy had made good on her threats and sold him out to the Miami Herald. You had to hand it to the cocaine queen, she had a very compelling story to tell - a long term DEA agent had given government intel to the Los Pepes vigilante death squad in order to have them do their dirty work and strike back against their common enemy; Pablo Escobar. To the untrained eye, that would seem like Los Pepes was doing good deed, except for the fact that they had been backed by an equally deadly threat; the Cali cartel.

At the time, it seemed like his best option. Get one group of bad guys to take out an even bigger bad guy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend; isn't that how the saying goes? But no matter what he told himself, Javí knew that what he did was wrong. Innocent people got caught in the crossfire. Innocent people always got caught in the crossfire, that's just the way it goes.

But it was a simple narrative that was easy to sell to the American public. The Drug Enforcement Agency in Columbia had used Los Pepes' deadly ways to keep the DEA's hands clean. People ate that shit up. Granted, Judy hadn't used Javí's name. But to those with knowledge of the fight against Escobar, it wasn't hard to figure out that he was the agent making deals with the devil.

Once the story broke, Javí had been fully prepared to face the music (and possibly criminal charges of his own.) But instead, in an amazing turn of events, they didn't really care. In fact, they were actually rewarding him for his biggest ethical compromise to date. How does a man make peace with that?

Maybe being punished in some way would have made the guilt he felt a little easier to live with. But, on the other hand, it wasn't as though Javí hadn't faced any consequences. While he was back in the states dealing with the fallout of Judy's interview, his partner Steve Murphy had managed to catch Escobar without him.

Funny how things work out, though. Because having to live with the knowledge that he hadn't participated in Pablo Escobar's final downfall was probably the best punishment for Javí in the long run. Because there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't regret not being there by Murphy's side. Years of work, and he couldn't see it through to the end.

But the cocaine flowing out of Columbia hadn't died on that rooftop with Escobar. The Cali Cartel had picked up right where Escobar left off. And business was booming. Now Javí was expected to go back to Bogotá and run the whole operation without Murphy. And, to add insult to injury, his association with Los Pepes was pretty much out in the open. That was sure to be a whole new form of torture. It would be nearly impossible for him to walk in there with his head held high.

Now his colleagues would always surely doubt him and wonder what side he was really on. If he had a boss like that it would have driven him absolutely crazy. He wondered how effective he could be in his new position if in the back of his men's minds they were always unsure if he could be corrupted. But once you cross that line, there's really no turning back. It sucked, but Javí couldn't really blame them if they doubted him.

The dark shadow of Los Pepes was sure to follow him around. The only way that he could possibly dig his way out of the hole that he found himself in would be to take down the Cali cartel godfathers himself. His interest in them becoming an obsession ever since his meeting with operations in Washington. If one were to point out that he had traded one obsession for another (Escobar for Cali) Javí wouldn't have bothered correcting them. At least he was consistant.

This was the job after all. But maybe, just maybe, with the godfather's behind bars, Javí could look at himself in the mirror again.

\---------

Javí took a taxi from the airport to his new apartment and took in the familiar smells of the city from his window. It was nice to be back. Texas was nice, but after his meeting with operations, Javí could only stay there for so long without wanting to get back to work.

But now that he was in management, the embassy housing that was usually reserved for families, would now be home sweet home for him. He'd miss his old place and the freedom that had come along with it. But now, thanks to his bullshit promotion, they wanted him closer to the office and in embassy housing. They cited safety concerns, but they probably wanted to keep an eye on him.

In the past, Javí had been known for his intimate relationships with the hookers of Columbia. But for as much fun as he had with them, it wasn't all recreational for Javí. Those women had made some of the best informants that the bureau had ever used and Javí was a master at flipping them.

Javí couldn't entertain them in embassy housing. Which was probably the real point of management moving him in the first place. But he was in no real position to argue with them, he was lucky to still have a job.

What the hell kind of boss was he going to be? He wasn't even working with Murphy anymore now that he had been transferred to Miami for christ sake. Before he could answer those questions, the taxi had pulled up to the american apartment complex and he was taking his bags out of the trunk. Everything he owned in two big duffle bags. At least the apartment was supposed to be furnished, not that he planned on spending that much time at home anyway.

Javí kept to himself but greeted the local movers he found in the hallways. It felt like the first day of school for some reason with so many people coming and going. But Javí couldn't help but feel so out of place. This building complex was definitely a place for families.

But as Javí explored his new home and dodged the odd American child playing in the courtyard, he was pleased to find that he was on a quiet floor with only two units.

He was almost on the verge of a good mood. That was until he came to what was supposed to be his front door.

"A piano? You gotta be kidding me." Javí huffed under his breath. All he wanted was a shower and rest his head for a bit after his flight. But he was currently being blocked from entering his apartment by an upright piano of all fucking things. "...alguien puede mover este piano, por favor." He called out to some of the men moving boxes into the unit next to his.

The men were busy with his neighbour's unit and it only took a few scowls and a threat to move the thing himself, before two men came rushing out to help him. How in the hell did his neighbour have so much stuff? To just about every American that worked here, Columbia was just a temporary assignment. A stepping stone to bigger and better placements. Who lugs around a piano with them?

He really hoped that there wasn't a family living next door with a kid that would be banging away on the keys all day. Javí was already unimpressed and trying to figure out a way to get a different place in the city and he hadn't even stepped foot into his apartment.

But soon after getting inside, Javí headed straight to the bathroom and showered quickly, hoping that he could sleep off his jet lag so he could hit the ground running in the morning. That was until he heard Kurt Cobain's voice clear as day coming from the apartment next to him.

Surely his new neighbour had put on some music as they were unpacking, but Javíer was in no mood to put up with any inconveniences.

Three loud bangs to the connecting wall did the trick. Javí then heard a smash and a startled female voice crying out, "Oh fuck!" and "Nooooo." trailing into a playfully pitifully whimper.

Javí felt a little bad when he deduced that his outburst had caused the female voice to drop something. But Javí wasn't in the mood to make any friends at the moment.

"Keep it down, princess!" Javí shouted for good measure. Emphasizing the American pronunciation of 'princess' to make it sound as derogatory as he could. Man, he was in a bad mood and really wanted to have a smoke.

"This place really does come with everything, doesn't it?" The woman sarcastically mocked. To whom she was speaking to, Javí had no idea but he didn't like her tone. "Even comes with lovely well mannered neighbours."

"And really thin walls." Javí fired back.

"Apparently." Javí heard the woman mutter as she turned down the volume. The two of them were quickly discovering that the walls in this place were paper thin. The answering female voice might as well have been coming straight from his living room, no wonder she was surprised when he suddenly banged on the wall.

Javí just hoped that he didn't get a disgruntled husband knocking on his door demanding to know why he had been so rude to his Nirvana loving wife. That was the kind of bullshit that kept him out of embassy housing for years.

Luckily, there was no angry husband drama and Javí could go back to obsessing about Duffy and Lopez and wondering what, if anything, they had found in Cali. The joint customs and DEA operation out of Miami, Cornerstone, had an asset in play and Javí was chomping at the bit. He had no time for any of this suburban soccer mom nonsense and ended up going to sleep before the sun had even set.

\---------------

The next morning, Javí woke from a dreamless sleep and was surprised to find that his kitchen was stocked with a few essentials, namely coffee, and a note from someone named Stoddard. But Javí had started making himself a much needed pot and had tossed the note in the trash before he finished reading it.

Javí was anxious about his first day back and popped two pieces of nicorette gum in his mouth. But as apprehensive as he was about his new job title, Javí couldn't wait to get back to work. Real work. DEA work.

Javí took one last look at himself in the mirror by his door before he headed out with his to-go coffee mug and almost didn't recognize the man staring back at him. Between the coffee cup and the tie, he looked like such a suit. But this was his life now, if he wanted to go after Cali, then Javí had to play the cards that he's been dealt. No matter how lame he thought he looked in the process.

As luck would have it, Javí wasn't the only one up bright and early, ready for their first day of work. Javí had been in the middle of locking his door, when his neighbour popped out of the door next to him and started to do the same.

He braced himself to get chewed out, but once he finally laid eyes on her time seemed to stop.

This had to be some kind of joke, Javí huffed to himself as his mouth hung open in shock. The woman that he had been bickering with last night was simply gorgeous. Not just a pretty girl that you can just quickly appreciate and then go about your day. This woman was stunning, and he was sure that she had caught his reaction to seeing her for the first time. Javí couldn't see a wedding ring on her finger and was trying to calculate the odds of his chances with her, when she greeted him with a friendly smile.

"Morning, neighbour." The woman politely smiled as she tried to balance her large work bag in one hand with a coffee cup and file folder in the other. Her long dark hair falling in front of her eyes as she struggled to get her new door's lock to latch properly.

"Nirvana?" Javí playfully asked, as though that were her name. The playful scowl on her face when her door wouldn't lock was adorable and Javí found himself forgetting all about the dread that had been sitting in his chest just moments ago.

"That's me." The brunette woman quipped back without missing a beat. "You must be angry shouty guy; it sounded like a bomb had gone off in my living room by the way."

"Sorry...I was... it was jetlag...and stupidity." Javí explained as he cocked his head to the side and let a ghost of a smile cross his lips when he realized that, because she was busy with her door, his eyes were able to fully drink her in without her noticing. His new neighbour's body was simply outstanding. The dark tailored business suit she wore was feminine but looked expensive as it hugged her body in all of the right places. This girl demanded his attention without even trying. "I'm sorry about that, that wasn't very neighbourly of me, Javí. Javíer Peña ."

"Eve Capshaw." She nodded as she gave up on her door to quickly shake his hand. "I believe you owe me a glass of wine, neighbour."

"Is that so?" Javí hummed back, letting his thumb brush against the back of her hand. He was so thankful that she was making his job easier by doing most of the flirting. Her big blue eyes were beautiful and he tried not to groan when her subtle perfume made him lick his lips. "It's a little early right now, but what time do you get off work tonight?"

"Nice try." Eve smirked, as she went back to struggling to close her door. Obviously used to getting her fair share of male attention "You scared the crap outta me and made me break my favourite wine glass."

"Oh no, your favourite?" Javí was quick to play along and pretend to be sad for her. Eve Capshaw was just the distraction he needed before he walked into the lion's den. What the hell was a woman like this doing working for the embassy?

"Well, it was the only one that survived the move." Eve explained with a sigh. She finally got a chance to take a good long look at her new neighbour and she wasn't expecting him to be so good looking. "So, yes, I guess you could say it was my favourite." Her voice took on a slightly breathless quality when Javí smiled down at her, his eyes crinkling in a cute way.

Shit, her obnoxiously rude neighbour was hot. Like really hot. So much so that Eve had to do a quick mental check and try to remember if she had worn a matching bra and panty set that morning. Once she noticed that he didn't have a wedding on his finger, Eve did that flirty batting her eyelashes thing that Molly Clarke had taught her when they were in the eight grade.

Needless to say, it usually worked like a charm so Eve was very careful to only break it out on men that she really wanted. Not many men were immune to her eyelash trick, and Javí was just as enamoured with it. Eve could feel the air change when he got a little closer to her and leaned against the wall beside her. She started to feel the heat of his stare as he looked down at her and licked his lips again; surely trying to bring attention to that perfect mouth of his.

It took 10 seconds for Eve to realize that this man was pure sex, even in that stuffy business suit. But she was not expecting that some cute friendly banter between neighbours passing in the hallway would lead her into this situation. The pull that she felt towards him was so strong that she almost tripped in her stupid work heels. But if Javí kept smirking at her like that, she was going to be late for her first day of -

"First day of work?" Javí asked as he dropped his voice a little lower; magically finishing her thought.

"That obvious, huh." Damn he smelled good, too Eve realized as her heart started to beat a little faster. "How do I look, not too slutty?" She tried to ask innocently, but knowing full well that her words would mess with him.

"Just how slutty were you planning on being?"

Oh, well played. He's good, Eve concluded as she licked her lips and told herself that fucking her new neighbour wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. It's not like she planned on staying in Columbia for that long anyway.

"Slutty enough that my boss will remember my name. But not too slutty because I don't want him to like me toooooo much, if you know what i mean." She playfully answered and hoped that he didn't think she was an idiot because she couldn't seem to lock a simple door like a normal person.

And just like that, Javí decided that he liked her. Granted, the second he laid eyes on his new neighbour, Javí was sure that he'd would fuck her in a heartbeat if given the chance. But now that Eve had made him laugh, Javí actually liked her, too. Rarely had the two concepts connected so perfectly for him.

"Ah, I see." Javí chuckled. He had been trying to play it cool, but was probably failing miserably at it. Luckily Eve still seemed interested, so he decided to push his luck. "What about me, huh? I was going for a moderately capable, but boring bureaucrat look." Javí teased as he stood up a little straighter and tried to look the part.

"I think you nailed it, Javí." Eve smirked as she shamelessly checked him out. Javí's deep voice felt like soft velvet in her ears. This man is deadly, she surmised. Then just like that, as her stupid door finally locked and she threw her arms up in celebration as if she just won the SuperBowl.

Eve said his name out loud and Javí loved the way it sounded coming from her lips. He almost didn't notice that in her excitement, Eve had knocked his coffee mug out of his hands. Shattering the plastic cup and sending coffee all over the hallway.

"Oh, shit! I'm so sorry." Eve apologized as the both checked their clothing to find that they'd luckily avoided any of the carnage.

"Shit, that's okay." Fuck! Javí wanted to shout out in frustration. He barely had time to flirt with this woman, let alone clean up such a stupid mess. "So much for getting to work on time."

"No, you go. It was all my fault. I have a mop in my place somewhere...I think." Eve offered, her big blue eyes looking very apologetic. "You go, I'll see you around."

"Maybe we can meet up later and get you that glass of wine, huh?" Javí called out behind him as he made his way down the hall and out to the parking lot.

"I'm looking forward to it." Eve called back without looking back at him, but winced when she realized how uncool and eager she sounded. It had been awhile so Eve was a little rusty. But she had a feeling that Javí could break her dry spell and finally get her laid.

"Good luck locking that door again!" Javí called back and smiled to himself when he heard her laugh.

Maybe coming back didn't have to be a complete disaster after all.


	2. Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javí’s first day back isn’t so great. Takes place during S3E1 The Kingpin Strategy

Meeting Eve and making her laugh had Javí feeling as though he were floating on air as he made his way to work. But that all ended the second he walked through the doors of the Embassy. Every single pair of eyes were on him as he tried to get to his office. _So much for flying under the radar._

A younger generation of staff and _"deputy country attaches"_ were quick on the draw and hounded him the first second they got. They all had hero worship in their eyes and weren't shy to suck up and praise him for his work on the Escobar case. They either hadn't heard the rumors about him and Los Pepes, or worse, they knew and didn't care. But Javí didn't have patience for all of that. All he cared about was rolling up his sleeves and getting back to work.

Javí had stood in what was now his office countless times before. But now he suddenly noticed how big and bare it felt compared to the office he had once shared with Murphy.

It was a surreal feeling but it didn't take long for Javí to realize that the only way he'd feel anything close to normal would be to have all of the new Cornerstone info spread out on his desk. Not little neat piles of summaries that pretty much told him jack shit.

He was jealous that Duffy and Lopez we're out in the field running an operation in Cali. In another time or place, that would've been him and Murphy. But Javí was in charge now and wanted to get up to speed so he could have their back and support them.

He just hoped that things would start to feel normal again.

—————

An hour or so later, soon as Agent Stoddard had finished chastising Eve for being late on her first day, he looked down at her paperwork again; annoyed by her mere presence.

"Capshaw, right?" Stoddard double checked her intake form and his eyes when wide.

"Eve Capshaw." She nodded, nervous but ready to get to work.

"As in Marcus Capshaw?" Stoddard blurted out when he realized who he had just been talking down to.

"No...I mean, yes..." Eve stuttered as she looked around the office and hoped that no one was listening. "I'm Eve."

"Nice to meet you, Evelyn Capshaw." Stoddard reintroduced himself, only this time with a fake air of congeniality. "I met your brother once a few years ago. Great guy."

"Look, I'm really sorry about being late." Eve tried to plaster a fake smile on her face as she changed the subject. "I had a run in with my neighbour...and well, things sorta went downhill from there. It won't happen again."

"No worries." Stoddard was quick to forgive her and pretend that he hadn't just given her shit for being late. Eve disliked him immediately and regretted not changing her name before agreeing to this job. If there was anything that Eve hated with a passion, it was two faced people that liked her for the wrong reasons.

"Let's introduce you to the boss and get you set up at your desk, shall we." Stoddard clapped his hands and smiled a smile that seemed too big for his face.

As Eve followed him through the office, Javíer had caught her eye first thing, she really couldn't miss him if she tried. He was sitting in his large office surrounded by boxes of files looking a little bit more laid back than he had that morning having lost his jacket and loosened his tie. But once she got over her delight and surprise, dread quickly filled Eve's heart.

 _Please don't be him. Please don't be him. Shit, he looks so damn good. Please don't be my new boss._ Eve silently hoped to herself as Stoddard, of course, brought her straight to her new boss; Agent Javíer Peña.

"Sorry to interrupt you, sir." Stoddard began as he popped his head in his office. "I'd like to introduce you to your personal secretary. We'll be working together with you. Get you what you need. Make your life easier, you know, that kind of thing."

Javí was not impressed and didn't even look up from his work. He had finally hit a groove and felt a bit like his old self the more he read and immersed himself into all of the fine details hidden in the Cali. He was not in the mood to deal with his new shadow, Stoddard, _deputy country attache extraordinaire._

But Javí's scowl quickly changed when he saw Nirvana standing in the doorway. His new next door neighbour looked even better than she had that morning; if that was even possible.

"This is Evelyn _Capshaw_." Stoddard made their introductions, careful to emphasize her last name.

"Evelyn Capshaw. Javíer Peña." Javí stood up and greeted her with a professional handshake and pretended that this was the first time that they had met.

"Eve, please." she quickly corrected him as she tried to stop nervously chewing on her bottom lip. It was just a simple innocent handshake. But touching him again caused a warm feeling to spread through her arm and she hoped that no one noticed the physical effect that he had on her. "My parents only call me Evelyn when they're mad at me."

"Good to know." Javí smirked as he tried to lay on the charm. First off, what were the fucking odds, Javí cursed to himself. And secondly, he really didn't need or want a personal secretary, even one as ridiculously attractive as Eve. (Or an over eager deputy country attache, for that matter.) "Stoddard, I have a meeting with Crosby in 20 minutes." Javí explained as he tried to fix his tie and stop smiling at Eve. "Can you see that the boxes from customs are brought into storage, too. I'm going to need those later."

"Sure. boss." Stoddard nodded after he looked from Eve to Javí, surely sensing some weirdness between them. Especially when he noticed a blush burning on Eve's cheeks and that his boss was trying to get rid of him.

"Neighbours." Eve replied shrug. She was terrible at hiding her emotions so she figured that there was no use pretending that they didn't already know each other.

"We met this morning." Javí added. "She's got good taste in music."

"Of course you got into the deluxe wing." Stoddard chuckled with a trace of disdain in his voice. Apparently, embassy housing had units assigned based on your job title; but not in her case. Eve could sense that Stoddard felt slighted that she was placed next to their boss and he was on another floor.

Eve hated being in this situation. But she'd been dealing with favoritism in one form or another all her life. You'd think she'd be used to the look in Stoddard's eye, but it still bothered her to her core. Luckily, he left to run Javí's errands before she tried apologizing.

"What are the fucking odds." Eve mumbled to herself as soon as Stoddard was out of ear shot.

"I was thinking the same thing." Javí smirked as he put his jacket back on and gave her his full attention.

"So you're my new boss. Small world." Eve tried to make small talk until she replayed in her mind their encounter that morning and gasped. "Oh my god! I asked you if I looked slutty!" Eve blurted out and groaned in shame, her cheeks burning even brighter shades of red. "I know we just met, but you gotta believe me. I'm not usually in the habit of flirting with my bosses. This morning, I really had no idea who you were..."

"Shhh, it's okay." Javíer soothed with laughter in his voice as he closed his office door to give them more privacy. So Eve _was_ flirting with him. Javí suddenly felt ten feet tall and had to fold his arms across his chest to try and contain himself. "And for the record, you don't."

"Don't what?"

"Look slutty." Javí answered with a sly twitch of his eyebrow. Other than wearing her long hair down, her pants suit and minimal makeup looked very put together and professional. But of course, at this point, Javí was well aware of his bias towards her. If she had been dressed more revealing, he'd surely forgive her and probably even encourage it.

"I hit on my boss. I'm late on my first day." Eve listed her current transgressions with a pained expression. There was no point lying; when they had met that morning she had been five minutes away from popping open another button on her shirt and practically shoving her tits in his face. Granted, Eve had the feeling that Javí had really wanted her to, but that wasn't the point. That was back when they were just two neighbours meeting in a hallway. "Columbia is off to a great start."

"You're only late because I left you to clean up my coffee in the hallway." Javí reminded her. "In retrospect, that was a kinda a dick move."

"That reminds me. Here, one second." Eve sighed as she got her bag from the desk just outside his office and pulled a plastic bag out and handed it to him. "I bought this for my hot neighbour after I completely embarrassed myself in front of him. That's why it took me so long to get here, boss."

"And how did you manage to do that?" Javí tried not to laugh while she began to refer to him as two different people. Her boss _and_ her hot neighbour. Her openness was refreshing. "To completely embarrass yourself in front of your hot neighbor, that is."

"I was a klutz and I killed his coffee mug."

"I'm sure it had it coming." Javí mocked as he looked in the bag and found a much nicer travel mug inside than the cheap one that she had broken that morning. Apparently he had left a good impression on her for her to do something so sweet and thoughtful for him. Her kind gesture caused him to clear his throat a bit before he thanked her. "Thanks. Thats...that's really nice. You didn't have to."

"I know. But needless to say...my hot neighbour isn't just my hot neighbour now; isn't he?" Eve sighed as she dropped her shoulders in defeat, the promise of a hot fling after work quickly dwindling now that they were colleagues. There was no way that she was going to sleep with her boss, even a boss as dangerously attractive as Javí. For as much of a fucked up as Eve had been recently, she wasn't going to let herself mess up that badly.

"Did you still want to go for that drink tonight? Now that..." Javí stumbled on his words when Eve started to look even more uncomfortable. He really didn't want to be the clique of the creepy boss that hits on his secretary. "Now that I'm not just your hot neighbour."

"You and me... we can't...you know." Eve tried to explain in broken sentences, hoping that he would get the hint and save her from having to spell it out. "I'm sorry." _Trust me, I'm really really sorry,_ Eve wished she could say.

"It's okay. I completely understand." Javíer lied and tried to sound professional and hide his disappointment. It helped that she looked just as upset by their new working relationship as he was. Easy come easy go. "You did say that you didn't want your boss to like you toooo much." He repeated what she had said to him that morning and was pleased that she finally smiled her gorgeous smile at him and started to relax. Javí found it hard to take his eyes off of her. Eve's smile was so honest that he was simply dazzled by it for a moment. "Look I have to go. I have to meet with Ambassador Crosby. Stoddard should be back soon and he'll set you up wherever you are supposed to be."

"Sure thing, boss." Eve nodded before she reached out and straightened his tie for him. She just couldn't help herself.

Javí took one last look at Eve before he left for his first meeting with the Ambassador since his return. It felt like there was more that each of them wanted to say to each other but they couldn't bring themselves to spit it out. Their friendship had started out fun and sweet with an electric connection that doesn't come around every day. It felt like more needed addressing but neither of them knew what to say.

This was an impossible position to be in, but this wasn't why Javí came back to Bogotá. He couldn't get distracted, he had to get the ball rolling on Cali. Cornerstone had an asset in play that could shake things loose and Crosby needed to be informed.

But as he made his way upstairs, Eve was still on Javí's mind. He'd always been a good judge of character and found himself liking his new secretary even more than he had before. Sure, Eve was pretty, but in the small time that he'd known her, she was also bright and cheerful in a way that made his chest ache. It was almost as if all the blood and darkness that he had witnessed for years had yet to touch her and it was such a fresh and intoxicating feeling to be around her.

He found it interesting how Eve had been the best part of his day so far. During both encounters she had managed to effortlessly pull him out of his tunnel vision and had replaced his dread and anxiety with levity and laughter. It was rare for him to focus on something other than work; especially on his first day back when there was so much to do.

Eve was nothing that he deserved. But by some miracle she liked him. Getting a drink with her was just too tempting. So much so that Javí wondered if Crosby could get Eve transferred to another office so there wouldn't be any messy work complications standing in his way. It was worth a shot.


	3. After Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javí has his first meeting with Ambassador Crosby and learns more about Eve - Takes place during S3E1: The Kingpin Strategy

Javí's first meeting with the Ambassador didn't exactly go the way that he thought it would. Not only was Crosby not so subtly putting the brakes on actively going after the Cali Cartel, but Javí's request to cut back on his office personnel fell on deaf ears.

"I appreciate the sentiment, I really do." Javí tried to make Crosby understand without telling him the real reason he wanted his new secretary transferred. "But I'm sure that between me and Agent Stoddard, we can answer the phones and file away our own paperwork. Adding another person just complicates things."

"Perk of the job, Javíer." Crosby smirked as he leaned back in his chair and took another sip of his whiskey. "She's pretty easy on the eyes, though, isn't she?"

Ambassador Crosby didn't sound like himself and Javí knew that something was up. Maybe now that he was in management, Crosby considered him a part of the good ol boys club and could speak more freely with him. But there was the possibility that he was bringing Eve up as a subtle dig at his past romantic/professional experiences with the hookers of Columbia. Best to tread lightly and figure out what he was getting at.

"She smells good, too, doesn't she?" Crosby added as he tried to gauge Javí's reaction. It was almost as if he was either trying to goad or warn him. But for the life of him, Javí couldn't understand why.

All at once a theory hit him, and Javí stirred in his seat. He was furious but tried to keep his reaction measured and not unleash his anger at the ambassador. The two of them had just been discussing Stechner (the CIA chief) and how he had inexplicably signed off on Javí coming back to Columbia after his scandal. After their history, that didn't seem likely unless Stechner was fucking up to something. Everything seemed to fit and Javí tried to stop grinding his teeth.

"She smells expensive." Javí answered, trying not to let any emotion show. "Did Stechner send her my way? Arranging for her to move in next door to me in embassy housing must have been pretty easy for him to pull off. Hardly a great use of resources."

"I'm not sure what you're getting at, son." Crosby replied with a trace of levity in his voice.

Crosby was a smart man, he knew full well what Javí was talking about. But in his defence, the CIA sending in a beautiful agent to spy on a DEA agent seemed preposterous on its face. Unfortunately, Javí didn't underestimate how low Stechner could go to keep him in line. If he hadn't been so pissed off, Javí would have considered it poetic justice based on how many times he had personally used sex to his professional advantage in the past. His theory still didn't explain why Eve put the brakes on the two of them seeing each other, but maybe playing hard to get was just part of Stechner's game.

"Makes it pretty easy for him to sign off on my appointment if he knows he has a pretty set of eyes on me." Javí scowled. "If he wants the CIA to work together with the DEA, this isn't the way."

"I think you might have slept with one too many informats, Agent Peña." Crosby grinned. Amused with Javí's suspicions. "Relax. It's not as bad as you think."

"Does she even speak Spanish?"

"Javí, I don't know if she can even type." Crosby chuckled, clearly finding the situation humorous. "She's here as a favor for a friend. Eve is harmless, that's all you need to know."

"With all due respect, sir, I'm not a babysitter." Javí insisted as he ran his hand down his chin; completely confused as to what the hell was going on.

"Well, for the time being, it's not like you have anything else to do."

\-------------

Javí headed back to his office downstairs with a bad taste in his mouth. Not only was he stuck between a rock and a hard place where Cali was concerned, but he still wasn't convinced that Eve wasn't a plant sent to mess with him. Since he couldn't get rid of her for the time being, he figured that it was best to stay on guard and avoid her as much as he could.

After all, Javí had bigger things to deal with. Duffy and Lopez still hadn't gotten back to him on the operation that they were running in Cali. With the way things were going with the higher ups, this might be their last chance to gather any new intel for the foreseeable future.

Maybe he had too much time on his hands because Javí couldn't stop kicking himself for falling hook line and sinker for Eve's fun innocent hot girl act.

Eve was good, he'd give her that. If Javí hadn't been on his way to work that morning, he surely would have taken her to bed without a second thought and would have considered himself a very lucky man. Not to mention that since she had been fairly fun to be around, he probably would have asked her out afterwards, as well. Who knows. He felt like such a fool for falling for Stechner's spy. He should have known that there was no way a woman like her would be interested in him - or work as a lowly secretary for that matter.

Between Stechner possibly fucking with him and hitting a brick wall with Crosby, Javí was in no mood for friendly banter with Stoddard and Eve when he got back to his new office. Instead, he walled himself away from the world and went back to reading his files so he could be on top of things if Duffy and Lopez turned up something. Because even though the authorities weren't exactly on board right now, there was still a chance that they could bring down Cali.

Javí had no idea how much time had passed when he finally looked up and called for Stoddard for the new customs intel. When he didn't receive an answer, Javí got up, stood in his doorway, and looked across the main office floor only to find it dark and empty.

Javí checked his watch. He couldn't believe that the whole evening had slipped away from him; it was nearly 10pm. Everyone must have called it a day hours ago.

"Stoddard!" Javí yelled again, this time a lot louder, hoping that maybe his shadow was still around. The kid seemed so eager, he wouldn't be surprised if he found him lingering around somewhere in the back.

"Oh shit! You scared me." A startled female voice answered from her desk outside of his office. Eve, who looked very casual and comfortable at her desk, began to pull off her headphones and give Javí her full attention.

"Why are you still here?" Javí asked, as his eyes quickly darted around the office again trying to confirm that they were indeed the only two people left in the office. Even though Javí was leery of her motives now, it was nice to not be alone. "It's your first day. You know you don't have to leave when I do."

"I know. I forgot you were still here, boss. I'm just trying to catch up a bit." Eve sighed as she leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms out above her head and stretched out her back. She had lost her suit jacket and heels a long time ago and Javí liked her more casual appearance. If he didn't want to get rid of her so badly, it might be nice to see her more like this after hours. Her hair long piled on top of her head with her sleeves rolled up was a nice look on her. It occurred to him that if she was a spy, Eve Capshaw was outstanding at her job because, even now that Javí was on to her, she had him completely under her spell.

"A little late night reading?" Javí asked when he noticed that she had his old Escobar files all over her desk.

Javí figured that she was going to try to feed his ego by flattering him on his past work. Tactics like that would probably work on most men, but not Javí. He knew the truth and hated being looked at as some kind of hero. But now that he saw her coming, Javí was interested to see how she would try and play him.

"Sorry, is this okay?" She asked through her deep yawn.

"Can't see why not." Javí tried to charm her by lowering his voice. "Find anything interesting?"

"You could say that. I mean, I thought that I read the news...but this." Eve groaned as she gestured to the mountain of files on her desk. "This is a whole world that I had no idea even existed. Cocaine, it's...I dunno; it's never been my thing. But I didn't realize that it had this kind of price tag. I take it that the Cali cartel is just as bad?"

"Maybe worse." Javí sighed as he sat on the edge of her desk. Impressed that she didn't congratulate him on Escobar and seemed more interested in the current threat they faced.

"How so?" Eve quickly asked, her brows furrowed until Javí answered her.

"Well, unlike Escobar, they have the shiny veneer of respectability." Javí explained with a sigh. He wasn't sure if she was pretending to be ignorant of how things were, but he'd play along for the time being. "Not only is their image really important to them, but they've paid a lot of powerful people to not look too closely. Escobar on the other hand, loved the spectacle of it all when he killed you."

"He was a gangster." Eve pointed out the obvious. "They're usually petty like that. It probably just added to his image. Shit like that probably made it easier for powerful people to fight to put an end to him."

"Exactly, but the godfathers of Cali, they're a different breed. Just as deadly, but not as messy. They're more polished and in suits....makes it a little more difficult to stomach fighting them as hard as they did with Escobar."

"These guys sound like American politicians." Eve groaned in disgust as she rolled her eyes.

"Only with a higher body count." Javí added as he tried not to find her expressions adorable.

"Back home, the policies politicians decide to back...or not to back, can kill people too. A lot of people." Eve replied with a dark look in her eye. "A bribe is a bribe whether it comes in the form of a campaign contribution or a thick envelope from a gangster. Corrupt politicians act like they're better than these guys, but the more I read, the more I'm not so sure. They all seem to have a price tag and don't really care how many lives they destroy."

Javí didn't sense a single hint of duplicity and maybe that's what made her words more powerful. Eve was smart and had the ability to see the big picture in a way that was really rare. There weren't a lot of people that cared about the little guys that got trampled on nowadays, whether by gangsters or politicians. But Eve saw them and seemed to care. For half a second they were on the same page and Javí didn't feel so alone anymore.

Javí had to stop staring at her because he could feel something swirling around in his chest that could only lead to disaster; especially if she had been sent to spy on him.

"I mean, it's not chicken wire..." she added as she grimaced at one of the crime scene photos in a newer Cali file. "So many lives have been turned upside down by this bullshit and they get to walk around in high society and pretend to be civilized. It's not right."

"You'd think that a CIA agent, such as yourself, would be used to seeing dead bodies." Javí blurted out, dying to call her out and have his suspicions confirmed.

"Huh? You lost me. CIA?" Eve tried to clarify until it dawned on her what he was accusing her of. "Wait! You seriously think I could be a CIA agent?" Eve scoffed with laughter in her voice, her big blue eyes bright and wide with amusement. "I'm flattered, but I barely got the office coffee maker to work. You should've seen me. Hardly the genius work of a CIA agent."

"Fair enough." Javí smirked, still not buying it. If she was sent to spy on him, he was probably playing this all wrong, but in his defence, it had been a long day. At least if she was CIA, she knew that he was on to her

"Can't the CIA mind their own business for two fucking minutes..." Eve muttered to herself. "Would they seriously try and mess with the DEA here? I thought you guys were on the same side?"

"So did I." Javí smirked, entertained by Eve's reaction. "It's late. I thought that all you newbies were going out tonight."

"They wanted me to tag along but I'm dodging them for as long as I can." Eve giggled, still finding the idea of her in the CIA laughable. "Don't tell my boss, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm afraid that the longer I hang out with them, the faster they'll figure it out."

"Your secret's safe with me." Javí flirted against his better judgement.

He really had to get out of there because the longer he smelled her perfume, the more he wondered if he could get away with a quickie on her desk...or maybe even his desk since it was bigger. Eve held his heated gazed and Javí began to think that breaking in the couch in his office was a great idea. There were so many options at that late hour in an empty office. But then she parted her lips to say something but stopped herself and quickie became unacceptable to him. Javí needed to take his time with her.

For a good long moment Eve appeared to read his mind but ended up looking away and tried to ignore the pull that they were feeling towards each other. Because at this point, their connection was an annoyance to both of them now that they couldn't act on it.

Javí was playing with fire and he was trying to decide if she was worth the risk. It didn't help that the little devil sitting on his shoulder was trying his hardest to convince him that she was.

"I'm going to call it a night, boss. I have a long night of bad dreams waiting for me." Eve sang out, only half teasing. She couldn't even handle scary movies and these old case files were real life horrorshow. Javí looked tired and stressed and Eve wished that it wasn't such a sexy look on him. Maybe she could pull some strings and get transferred somewhere else in the embassy. How hard could that be? Because she'd love for him to go back to being just her hot neighbour. That way she could get naked and help him destress. "Maybe, since my last wine glass bit the dust, I'll have a glass of wine out of one of my old Star Wars glasses or something."

"Have a good night." Javí abruptly nodded as he turned on his heel and went back into his office to grab his things. The longer the two of them hung out the more it tested his resolve.

Maybe he was wrong about Stechner and Eve. Maybe he was wrong about everything. All he knew for sure was that Eve clouded his judgement so Javí decided that he needed to get away from her and out of the office. He had to clear his head and get a drink.


	4. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javí has a one night stand then learns more about Eve the next day. Takes place during S3E1 Kingpin Strategy and S3E2 The Cali KGB

Javíer's first day back was so terrible that he couldn't even entertain the idea of heading back home to his empty apartment. Not only did Javí hate that all of his hopes were hanging on Duffy and Lopez, but the thought of Eve next door to him sipping her wine out of a cartoon glass and not out drinking with him like they had planned, was just too depressing.

The nearest bar (which happened to be the most popular to most of the embassy staff) seemed like a safest bet for a quick nightcap. But after dodging his off-duty deputy country attache the second he walked in, Javí's bad luck continued when his old nemesis, Stechner, took a seat next to him at the bar. 

Javí wanted to rip his head off the second he sat down and call him out on Eve and all of his sneaky underhanded CIA bullshit. But instead, Javí got down to business and demanded to know how they planned on dealing with Cali if Stechner was so sure that the operation he was running with Duffy and Lopez was doomed to fail.

As it turned out, the Cali cartel was going to get the kid glove treatment by everyone; including Washington. No wonder Crosby had been trying to get him to back off that afternoon.

The godfathers of Cali were going to turn themselves in and get a slap on the wrist; if that. It was complete bullshit and they probably wouldn't spend nearly enough time in jail. To make matters worse, Javí was sure that they were going to use this period of time before they surrendered to make as much money as possible. Practically rubbing their noses in the injustice of it all.

But what really killed Javí was that Stechner thought that he would understand all of that bullshit because he quote - "knew the way things worked." Implying that him and Stechner were one in the same.

Javí was about to set him straight but when Stechner shoved the truth in his face and reminded him that if there were any real justice in the world, Javí would be in jail right now for his involvement with Los Pepes, Javí couldn't really argue with him.

The authorities in Columbia and Washington were more interested in cutting deals than dolling out actual justice. It made Javí sick to his stomach to know that he didn't really have a leg to stand on. Stechner was right; he was guilty of cutting corners in the past. But this was outrageous. He felt useless and Javí hated that feeling.

Stechner left him at the bar to stew and Javí looked over and saw that the new pretty intern he had met in the elevator with Stoddard that morning was still at her table...and she was smiling and eye fucking the hell out of him.

Javí knew full well what that smile meant. Before Javí smiled back, he lamented the fact that Eve was supposed to be there at that very same table with the rest of the newbies. Sadly, Eve wasn't an option for him anymore but Javí convinced himself that this new woman was good enough. But he had to wonder if he was an asshole for not remembering her name or thinking that she couldn't hold a candle to his new 'secretary.'

Maybe if he had another drink and squinted a little bit this intern could scratch the itch that he had. With the way that Javí was feeling, anything felt better than focusing on the guilt sitting in his chest like a rock.

Unfortunately, it took about two minutes of chatting her up for him to figure out that she wasn't as clever or as funny as Eve was either. It was far too easy to seal the deal and get the pretty intern to invite him to her place. It hardly felt like a satisfying challenge.

Turns out her name was Katie, Javí had screwed up and called her Cathy twice on the way to her place but she had let it slide. She was far too interested in getting the dashing DEA agent who took down Escobar into bed than worry if he was actually listening to her or not.

She offered him a night cap at her apartment and he quickly discovered that flirting with her wasn't nearly as fun as it had been that morning when he met his new neighbour. But Cathy...no Katie, was getting better looking the drunker that Javí got.

He tried to ignore the lack of electric connection in the air when he kissed her. She didn't smell the way that Eve did or do anything in particular made him smile. He didn't feel seduced by her the way he did when he was with Eve; but, for tonight, she'd do. Javi didn't have any feelings for her and almost wished for half a second that he could pay her for her time to appease his conscience.

Javí was fighting a battle raging within himself. There was no way that he was about to give in and admit that Eve, woman that he had just met, could get under his skin like this. Especially if she was working for Stechner of all people. So Javí poured all of his longing and frustration into making that night's conquest come over and over again.

Javí had managed to forget about the world for an hour or two while he let Cathy or Katie distract him. He even fell asleep at her apartment, something that he never let himself do in the past. But his success was short lived when a nightmare woke him early the next morning to go along with the killer hangover he had. 

The details of his dream were slipping away quickly, but the face of the young boy that he once had his gun trained on was still fresh in his mind. Escobar had no problem arming kids and using them in his operation and Javí had unfortunately run into one during a foot chase. Javier, still to this day, thanked his lucky stars that he didn't have to pull the trigger.

Aiming his weapon at a child no more than 11 or 12 had stuck with Javí. But it was unsettling that, during his dream, the image of the boy had quickly changed to an image of Eve for some odd reason. She was terrified and he couldn't put his gun down. That was the moment when his psyche had enough and he finally woke; gasping with his heart pounding in his chest.

Javí thought that he had been doing a lot better at coping with his past traumas. He'd seen worse happen to women and children. But then again, it had never him pointing the gun or pulling the trigger. The last thing he wanted was to wake up in a strange woman's bed and have to deal with all of the shit swimming around in his head. He had too much on his mind, Cali, Stechner...now Eve.

All of it was starting to feel like too much and it was only his second day back. To make matters worse, he'd run out of nicorette gum so he caved in and started searching for a smoke. Soon he was sitting there in a stranger's bed smoking a cigarette that he had managed to steal from Cathy or Katie's purse without waking her.

To make matters worse, all Javíer could hear in his head was his father's voice. Chucho had warned him during his last visit home that more times than not, it's the world that changes you, not you changing the world.

His father was right. The big bad world was changing him. But he had to try and make it right... Javí was just built that way.

That's why Javí didn't think twice when he snuck out of Cathy or Kate's apartment and headed to his place to get changed for work. Sure it wasn't very cool of him to leave without saying goodbye. But it was painful enough trying to have a conversation with her last night. The last thing he wanted was for her to see him so rattled.

Unfortunately he learned the second he got into work that Duffy and Lopez's covers had been blown in Cali.

Shit. Talk about kicking a man when he's down. To make matters worse, Duffy and Lopez had even made the front page of the newspaper. The situation was now completely unsalvageable. So much for this operation being the Hail Mary that shook things loose.

Now that he was the boss, this was Javíer's headache to deal with. Not only had Duffy and Lopez not informed the local Cali police of their operation, the Columbians were really counting on the surrender deal with the Cali cartel and didn't appreciate the DEA rocking the boat. Even though, at this point, the Cali godfathers were still fair game and the DEA was well within their rights to take them down.

Soon, Javíer and Crosby were in a meeting with the Columbian officials. They wanted to assure that no further attempts would be made against the Cali. Javí hated all of this bureaucratic bullshit. The Rodriguez brothers were the criminals here. Not the DEA.

After his meeting with the Columbian officials, Javí tracked down Colonial Martinez in the hallway. Javí had wanted to touch base with him and commiserate with a familiar face about the Cali surrender deal and possibly have an ally. But instead, Javí abruptly got put in his place. Martinez reminded him that he was the one that had unleashed Los Pepes on the population. Therefore, he was in no position to judge the decisions of officials that preferred peace before justice.

Javí was hoping for some camaraderie since they had worked together so well in the past. But Javí's involvement with Los Pepes was a hard pill for his old friend to swallow. But Javí still respected the man...which is probably why his words hit close to home and stung.

But unfortunately, Javí's headaches didn't end with that meeting. Now Duffy and Lopez were on the first plane to states and there was nothing that Javí could have done about it. Depressing since they were the only two seasoned agents that actually wanted to take down Cali.

Once he got back to the office, Javí was so stuck in his own mind that he almost missed all the flower deliveries that were crowding Eve's desk. He stopped in his tracks when he could barely see her through them.

"Uhhh?" Was the only question that Javí could form once his eyes finally found Eve's.

"I'm trying to get rid of them, boss." Eve explained, seemingly frustrated by their presence, as well.

"Who are they from?" Javí asked. "More importantly, who are they for?"

"They're for me. It's stupid." Eve mumbled. "Colleen, sweetheart, do you want these ones, too?" Eve called out before the other embassy secretary left. "These ones match your blouse."

"You sure?" Colleen made sure before she tried to balance one of the larger colourful boutiques with the other ones Eve had given her.

"Here, you can have these, too." Eve insisted as she tucked a box of expensive chocolates under her arm so it would be easier for Colleen to carry back to her desk. "It must have taken you all morning to sign for these, I'm so sorry. If anything else comes, please just deny it. This is getting out of hand."

"You're my favourite new hire, Capshaw." Colleen playfully winked at her and ignored Javíer's grumpy exasperated expression. "You've officially given me more flowers than my boyfriend ever has."

"Well, that's a shame because you deserve all the flowers." Eve tried to match Colleen's friendly smile even though she could feel her boss's annoyance radiating off of him as he waited for answers. "I'll throw in a lunch date, too. You earned it."

"Are you some kind of celebrity or something?" Javí asked, only half joking. In all of his years in this office, he'd never seen anything like this before.

"Or something." Eve dryly mocked as people around them snickered. For as much as people sucked up to her, they also enjoyed seeing her squirm.

"Oh what do you know. These are from Ambassador Crosby." Javí sang in an accusatory tone. "Funny, I never got flowers when I started here."

Eve was mortified and chewed on the inside of her cheek and hoped (in vain) that no one was listening. She knew that something like this was going to happen and regretted not changing her name when she took the job.

"The state department? Are you fucking kidding me?" Javí huff as he read another note. If Eve wasn't CIA then what the hell was going on. "Who the fuck are you, princess?"

"I'm just a girl trying to get these off my goddamn desk so I can go back to work." Eve finally fought back with her hands on her hips. Getting flowers isn't a crime and she was tired of him making her feel guilty about it. "Here." she nearly shouted as she handed him one of the larger potted plants on her desk. "Happy promotion, Agent Peña . Try not to kill it."

"From...?" Javí read the card on the plant, refusing to let her have the last word. "I don't know who these people are."

"They're lobbyists." Eve groaned. "Don't worry about it. On second thought, go ahead and kill it."

"I don't have time for this shit." Javí snapped as he pinched the bridge of his nose and tried not to drop the plant. What the hell was happening in his office? Nothing made sense to him anymore.

"Hey, Eve. Thanks for the fruit basket in the break room, that was you right?" Stoddard interrupted them with a half eaten apple in his hands. Happy to dump some more gasoline on the fire and team up with their boss against her.

Eve wanted to sink into the floor. She knew that she'd have to explain herself, but this couldn't have been more embarrassing. She was sure that everyone in the office was looking at her and wondering if she was going to get publicly fired on the spot.

Javí hated the look of shame in Eve's eyes as he looked down at her. The truth was, he wasn't mad at her. In fact, bickering with her had been the most fun that he'd had all day. But this was just the worst day in history and he was lashing out and embarrassing her for no reason. It wasn't fair and this was not the kind of boss that he wanted be,

"Just get as much of this shit out of here as you can, Capshaw." was all that Javí could bring himself to say before he ducked into his office.

\--------------------

Javíer sat his new plant down on his desk and pressed his head against the back of his chair. He stared at the plant and hated that he had snapped at Eve. She'd been nothing but kind to him since he'd met her. But without a game plan to go after Cali, Javí was just lost and anything had the potential to set him off.

Soon he reconsidered if his desk was the best place for his new plant. What did he know about keeping plants alive? All he knew was that it probably needed water and sunlight and rehomed it closer to his window and hoped for the best.

"Hey, boss." Stoddard knocked and let himself in at the same time.

Javí braced himself. When Stoddard was happy and chipper like this, it couldn't be good.

"Have a seat." Javí dryly suggested when his deputy country attache sat down across from him without an invitation.

"Maybe you're not in the loop when it comes to Eve. I just thought that I should fill you in."

"Is that so?" Javí was leery of him, but the chance to find out more about Eve was hard to pass up. "So... fill me in then."

"Well, I think that we can both agree that it's not like Eve has any real experience." Stoddard started to explain as if he and Javí were old friends. "So I did a little digging."

"Did you now?" Javí calmly asked. He didn't like where this was going. It felt as though Stoddard was working against Eve and Javí couldn't help but become protective of her. "Do you always make it a habit of investigating all of your colleagues?"

"Uhhh, no not really." Stoddard stumbled on his words when his actions didn't go over well with his new boss.

"At least someone is doing some police work." Javíer huffed to himself. "And what did you find out when you conducted your...investigation."

"She's Senator Capshaw's daughter." Stoddard couldn't wait to spill the beans and Javí wished he could smack the shit eating grin off his face. "Like the actual Senator Capshaw. He's a king maker, boss. Ambassador Crosby and him have always been close and her mother is still in the state department. She was almost Clinton's Secretary of State. My guess is, they pulled some strings and got her this position. Her brother is running for office and the word is, Eve was a part of some kind of personal scandal that -"

"Leave it be." Javí ordered as he let this new information sink in. "Politicians pull strings all the time. She hasn't caused any harm."

"But, boss." Stoddard tried to finish.

"It doesn't matter, Agent Stoddard." Javí snapped having his own fair share of personal scandals. "I'm not interested in your water cooler gossip. Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

"Yes, you're right. Yes, sir."

Javí paced his office and didn't know what to do with himself. Why was he even here? Everything felt like a waste of time. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and couldn't help but smile when he found a new pack of nicorette gum sitting next to his mini bar. Probably supplied by his new secretary.

He had to admit, Eve really wasn't terrible at her job...but what really bothered Javí was the possibility that maybe he was.


	5. Lady's Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve starts to make friends in Columbia - much to Javí’s dismay. Takes place a little before the events in S3E2 The Cali KGB

Days went by with Javí hoping that something would turn up that could give them the godfather's whereabouts. They still had time before the surrender deal was finalized. But since they weren't sending any new agents to Cali, Javíer's leadership felt hollow and useless. The most productive thing that he had done in days was keep the plant that Eve had given him alive.

It was sad how quiet the office was compared to the amount of Columbian cocaine currently flooding American streets. Javí barely recognized his office. Everyone else was treading water and collecting a pay check.

Well, that was exactly true. Surprisingly, Eve cared. She cared a lot actually. Granted, she wasn't a DEA agent, or a CIA spy for that matter, but she couldn't hide her interest in taking down Cali. Slowly but surely, Eve had surprised him by essentially taking on Duffy and Lopez's investigation along with all of her secretarial duties.

Night after night once everyone had called it a day, Javí would find her alone at her desk going over the same Cornerstone info that he had combed through earlier. For an amateur, Javí was impressed with her dedication and the questions that she asked. It was almost like having Murphy back for half a second. Senator's daughter or no Senator's daughter, Eve really wanted to learn and was usually the last one to leave the office. And because his hands were essentially tied for the moment being, Javí had all the time in the world to educate her.

At first, Javíer had tried to take Ambassador Crosby's advice. He really did try to take it easy and focus on getting acquainted with his new job. But Eve had a way about her that pulled him out of that complacent fog and reminded him why he was back in Columbia in the first place. If it wasn't for their long after hour conversations, you would have thought that the godfathers of Cali were some kind of harmless fairy tale. But Eve took them seriously and saw them for what they were. In the end, Javíer wasn't sure if he was grateful for her enthusiasm, it just reminded him that there was a good chance that Cali wouldn't be brought to justice.

But Javíer's patience did nothing to help the crush that Eve had on him. Granted, she tried her best to keep her mind out of the gutter during their long conversations about the Cali cartel and the history of the cocaine operation in Columbia. But the more that Eve got to know him, the harder it was for her to stop liking him...and harder for her to stop picturing him naked late at night when she was alone in her big empty bed. At first, her hot new neighbour had appealed to her physically; how could he not. But now that she had experienced how Javí's mind worked, the more she liked being around him and looked forward to going to work every morning.

Eve often found herself mesmerized by his voice and how he could easily and authentically pronounce names and places. So much so that she enlisted the help of a friend to tutor her and brush up on her Spanish. She was done embarrassing herself every time she butchered the proper pronunciation. Unfortunately while she was growing up, Eve's parents had insisted that French was a more useful language for her to learn. Eve was kicking herself now that she was living in Columbia and couldn't roll her R's to save her life.

But try as they might to keep things professional between them, that connection of theirs just kept getting stronger. Many nights had gone by where Javí would walk her home after work and they would go through the same awkward goodbyes. No matter how tired they were, neither of them were ever ready to face the coldness of their empty apartments. More times than not, their lengthy work conversations would continue in their hallway. Anything to keep from saying goodnight to each other.

But during the day, Javí tried his best not to get jealous when he found other agents making excuses to sit around her desk. As it turned out, his secretary, much to his dismay, was the definition of the social butterfly. Whenever Javí looked outside his office he always found some young hot shot agent chatting her up.

As much as he hated it, he really couldn't blame them. After all, if Eve didn't have such a problem with dating her boss, Javí surely would have been the first one in line. Unfortunately, he was too busy feeling like a possessive caveman to notice the dread in her eyes and how quickly she dismissed her would be suitors so she could get back to work. But in his defence, Eve had been raised to plaster on a convincing smile and put up all kinds of bullshit.

There was one new agent in particular, who Javí had never met, that seemed to be especially keen on Eve. He was younger than Javí and had long sandy blonde hockey hair that rested in the collar of his ill fitting shirts. But this new guy was handsome in a typical all American good guy way. So much so, that Javí was petty and hated him for merely existing.

This agent lasted longer than anyone else that had been sniffing around her and two of them always seemed to be involved in heavy animated conversations. Not to mention that he and Eve always seemed to have a smile for each other that felt like a knife twisting in Javí's gut. But oddly, this guy wore a wedding ring so Javí was completely confused as to what his motives with Eve were. It really didn't make a lot of sense. If Eve wouldn't get involved with her boss, Javí couldn't see her dating a married man.

But little did Javí know, Eve and Chris Feistl were only friends. The best of friends really. The two of them brought together by their mutual hatred of photocopiers...and the Cali cartel. As it turned out, Eve wasn't the only one in the office that was chomping at the bit to take the godfathers down.

Eve's relationship with Feistl had started out innocent enough. As it turned out, after countless painstaking attempts, she was the only one on the floor that could get the office photocopier to work properly. Maybe it was patience, or dumb luck, but Eve seemed to have developed the magic touch.

One day, Eve took pity on the poor guy and offered her assistance before he threw the stupid thing out the window. Chris was so happy that she had fixed it and that it was finally printing off his forms, that he spontaneously bear hugged her and lifted her feet off the ground. But then, once she let out a squeak, he realized how unprofessional he had been and placed her back on her feet. He then spent about ten minutes sweating and profusely apologizing to her. Insisting that he was happily married and that he didn't mean to make her uncomfortable.

"It really isn't what it looked like." Chris tried to get her to understand as his heart pounded in his chest. He had been trying so hard to fit in and make his mark in Columbia. The last thing that he needed was his boss's secretary reporting him to human resources for sexual harassment.

"It's okay, big guy." Eve laughed at his reaction. She'd never seen someone's cheeks blush so red yet have the rest of his face pale at the same time. "Relax, you're gunna pass out."

"You sound like my wife." Chris mocked as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You should come around sometime, I have a feeling that the two of you would really get along."

"Are you trying to set me up on playdate with your wife?" Eve teased to try and break the tension and make him laugh.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Chris shyly smiled. "We haven't been here very long, and she isn't really fitting in with all of the other embassy moms."

"I see."

"I guess there's only so many times that you can talk about strollers, you know?" Chris shrugged.

"I totally get it." Eve smiled her big genuine trademarked smile that, until recently, had only been reserved for her boss. The truth was, Eve was lonely and jumped at the opportunity to have a social life again. "I'd love to meet her."

And from that one conversation, two of Eve's most cherished friendships were born. Chris then invited Eve over for dinner that night and introduced her to his wife, Emily. The two women clicked in record time, just as Chris suspected they would. Once the two women met, it was as if they had known each other their entire lives.

But Emily and Chris weren't the only Feistls to take a liking to Eve. Their four year old daughter, Molly, didn't leave Eve's lap the entire evening. Eve didn't mind in the slightest and humored the little girl all through dinner and later carried her to the couch afterwards. Before they knew it, Molly had fallen asleep listening to the adults laugh and get to know each other.

"I should take her." Emily smiled adoringly at her daughter fast asleep in Eve's arms. Her chubby cheeks squished against Eve's chest as she snored away. "I swear, I never seen her take to someone so quickly before."

"You should see her with my sister." Chris puffed out a laugh before he took a pull from his beer. "She runs for the hills."

"What can I say? My daughter is a great judge of character." Emily giggled with loving pride.

"She's the most precious little thing." Eve cooed as she smoothed the little girl's curls and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Just a little bit longer, if that's okay. I'm cuddle deprived."

"That's not what Chris said." Emily teased. Earning her a playfully elbow in the ribs from her embarrassed husband. "I can't tell you how many times he's fantasized about taking a baseball bat to that photocopier since we got here. He was terrified that you were going to report him to HR for hugging you."

"Thanks, babe." Chris huffed.

The two of them were such an adorable couple and Eve could see why his wife wouldn't really fit in with all of the other American soccer moms at the embassy. Most of the women that Eve had met really didn't have a clue as to what their husbands did for a living or how important their presence was in the country. But Emily was well aware of Chris's job and the dangers that he faced in and wasn't content to just play the role of a silent housewife. The Cali cartel had been on Eve's mind for a while now so she found it refreshing to "talk shop" with people other than Javíer.

It helped that Chris and Emily never said anything about her parents or her last name and treated Eve like a regular human being. Out of necessity, Eve had developed a radar for people that were nice to her for the wrong reasons. But the Feistls were good people who had no problem disagreeing with her or making jokes at her expense. Eve decided that she liked them before she had even finished her first beer. It was nice to be around real people for a change because, other than Javí, people at the embassy treated her like royalty and it was hard on Eve's soul.

Maybe because they had clicked so quickly, Emily had confessed to Eve that she had recently lost her sister to a drug overdose. That tragedy had been the catalyst for the two of them packing up their daughter and heading to South America to fight back against the cartels and possibly make a difference.

Unlike most couples stationed in Columbia, Emily was just as invested as Chris was in stopping the flow of cocaine onto American streets. Naturally, after Molly was put to bed, the three of them spent the rest of the evening discussing the DEA, Columbia politics, and the Cali cartel. Soon a deal was met between Eve and Chris that made Emily snicker and giggle at the two of them conspiring with each other like little kids.

"I can get you those files." Eve insisted after Chris had expressed his frustration at the lack of new information flowing his way. "I've been refiling all of that stuff for days now. But when the new stuff comes in, I can make you copies within the hour."

"Are you sure?" Chris groaned. Eve's offer was so tempting, but he was new and didn't want to piss anyone off. "I usually have to wait, what..at least two or three days for new intel to trickle down to me. By then it's usually too late to do something if a pattern of behaviour stands out."

"I'm positive." Eve shrugged, as if it were no big deal. "What harm could it do? You're going to get to read them eventually anyway. Besides, you have a higher security clearance than I do in the first place."

"Wait. You read Agent Peña's briefings?" Chris asked with a hint of jealousy and awe in his voice.

"No. I'd never do that." Eve winked before she took her last sip from her beer bottle; letting him know that she was indeed breaking a few rules for the sake of her ongoing curiosity.

"You're the worst liar." Emily laughed as she went into the kitchen to grab them all another beer. "We should start up another weekly poker night here. You're an easy mark, Capshaw."

"Teach me some Spanish, and we have a deal." Eve exclaimed as she playfully shook Chris's hand. "Colleen's been helping me, but she's been busy with her boyfriend lately...just don't laugh at me, because I'm a mess!"

"I think you've got yourself a deal." Chris smiled as Emily came back in the room and curled up on his lap.

"I wish I could make you smile like that..." Emily grinned as she rubbed her nose against her husband's.

"Oh, you do." Chris assured his wife with a wolfish grin.

"That's my cue to call it a night!" Eve laughed as she grabbed her things before the happy couple started making out on the couch.

As far as Eve was concerned, Chris and Emily Fiestl had won the lottery. Their tiny embassy apartment was so full of life that it was a long walk back to Eve's painfully empty apartment.

\----------------------------

Javíer had just gotten home himself a few minutes before he heard Eve's door shut and a loud beep coming through the walls a moment or two later. 

"You. Have. 25. New. Messages." A robotic voice stated followed by the unmistakable sound of Eve groaning in frustration.

"Evelyn, dear. It's your mother." A commanding foreign voice rang out through her answering machine. "You haven't gotten back to my assistant or your brother's secretary and I don't appreciate the radio silence. I know you're not happy about Columbia...but if you could just try looking at the big picture for once in your life -"

"Message. Deleted." Followed by Eve bitterly muttering. "Goodbye, mother."

A chorus of meaningless messages played after that. Men and women, young and old. All asking her how she's adjusting to life outside the United States. Some even went so far as to offer her use of their personal and political connections within the Embassy and State Department. All names that Javí knew well and probably couldn't get a meeting with if he tried. But here was Eve, offended by each offer and deleting each message without a second thought. Javí was impressed.

"Seriously, Evie?" An angry male voice suddenly snarled through the speaker causing both Javí and Eve to be caught off guard and jump at his bitter menacing tone. "You think you're gunna ignore me? Pick up the goddamn phone for fuck's sake - Message. Deleted."

Even though the offending message had been deleted, it felt as though the man's angry voice still hung in the air. Even with a wall between them, Javíer could sense that Eve was upset and it was hard for him to focus on the files in front of him. It didn't take a brilliant investigative mind or a gossiping deputy country attache to deduce that Eve had probably come to Columbia to escape some family troubles and possibly a douchebag ex.

Javi sighed as he ran his hand down his face. He really shouldn't be listening to what went on in her apartment; it was wrong but Javí couldn't help it. It almost felt as though he had company for a minute.

A moment went by and Javí heard a knock coming - not from his door- but from his wall.

"Javí?" Eve called out. "Are you up?"

"Yes." Javíer puffed out a laugh at her unconventional way of communicating with him.

"Do you mind if I play the piano for a little bit? It's...it's been a long day." Eve admitted as she chewed on her bottom lip and hoped that he couldn't hear the emotion in her voice. For as much as Eve had hated learning to play as a kid, she found that now that she was an adult, the piano had a way of calming her down and centering her. A feeling that she really craved at the moment. "It's late..I don't have to..."

"My abuela used to play." Javíer found himself confessing as he gave up on his paperwork, poured himself a drink and made himself comfortable on his couch. "When I was little...I remember falling asleep listening to her play."

"Any requests?" Eve took that as a yes and smiled as she sat down on her piano bench for the first time since her godfather had it delivered to her and tried to imagine Javí as a young boy.

"Lady's choice." Javíer sighed as he kicked his shoes off; wondering what cute and lively song she'd pick to match her outgoing cheerful personality.

But the last thing that he expected was to hear Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata start to ring out through the wall. Javíer wasn't an expert on classical music, but the haunting tune Eve expertly played was beautiful and far deeper than what he had been expecting.

It wasn't long before Eve had successfully lulled him off to sleep, just as his abelua used to do a lifetime ago. Even though he was on his couch and still in his work clothes, Javí had one of the best sleeps that he'd had since his return to Columbia; maybe even in years.


	6. Dance Partner *NSFW*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve gets set up on a blind date

Eve had been looking forward to a quiet Saturday where she could finish her book or maybe head to the market to pick up some new much needed wine glasses. Anything to stop thinking about work and to make life in Columbia feel a little more normal. But all of Eve’s happy domestic plans came crashing down around her when she decided to actually answer her phone for a change.

Such a rookie move, Eve cursed herself as she listened to her work friend, Colleen, ramble on. Normally, Eve knew better and let her answering machine do all of the heavy lifting. There were too many fake two faced well wishers blowing up her phone. They were only trying to get into her parent’s good books and ingratiate themselves with her family. It was easier to just screen her calls and erase their messages then have to hear them all out and try to make small talk.

Colleen meant well, she really did. But Eve wanted to sink into the floor when she informed her that she had taken the liberty of setting her up on a blind date. _That night._

Eve opened her mouth to protest but Colleen beat her to the punch and insisted that there was no way that she was going to let her back out of it and that her attendance was mandatory.

“I didn’t even tell you the best part!” Colleen jumped in when she could still sense Eve’s hesitation. “You have reservations at the best restaurant in the city. If my boyfriend didn’t have to work at the last minute, that would’ve been my table. Trust me, you’re gunna love it!”

Eve had sensed that something like this was going to happen. Ever since she had taken an interest in the Cali investigation, Colleen had suspected that there was something going on between her and Javíer and hadn’t been shy about teasing her about it. It didn’t help that, even though she was a child of two politicians, Eve couldn’t convincingly lie to save her life.

It didn’t matter how many times Eve had laughed off Colleen’s suspicions, Colleen saw right through her. Eve didn’t really blame her though. If Javí wasn’t her boss, Eve would have taken full advantage of the late hour and would have made a move on him weeks ago. At this point, Eve wasn’t sure if she was impressed or pissed off with her self control. She just wished that she was better at lying because she hated the idea of her and Javí being dragged into office gossip.

“You really didn’t have to go to so much trouble…” Eve twisted her phone cord around her fingers and hoped that she could talk her way out of this.

“Look Eve, you’re in a new country. This is the time to live a little and enjoy yourself.” Colleen explained as Eve rolled her eyes. “His name is Daniel Van Ness and he's cute, trust me. If there’s nothing going on between you and Javí, then this shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I don’t really do blind dates…” Eve huffed. “What if he’s a serial killer?”

“He’s a highly vetted DEA agent, so I doubt it.” Colleen snickered. “His desk is right beside Feistl’s. You brought him back coffee when you and Chris went out for lunch the other day with his wife.”

“I did?” Hardly the love connection that Colleen thought it was. Coffee runs were a common occurrence in the office since the coffee machine in the break room was terrible.

“He’s tall, dark and handsome...” Colleen listed his qualities in the hopes of jogging her memory. But, as she feared, Eve only had eyes of Javí and had no idea who she was talking about. “Look, all you need to know is that he’s a younger, taller Agent Peña, okay. Just your type.”

“Stop it with that, okay.” Eve sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose and tried not to snap at her. _“Javíer is just my boss.”_ Eve whispered in case he could hear her through their adjoining wall.

“Javíer, is it? Not everyone is on a first name basis with their superiors.” Colleen added and Eve could sense the big smile on her friends face through the phone.

Eve usually loved it when Colleen playfully stirred up trouble; except now, Eve was on the receiving end and didn't appreciate it one bit. Little did Eve know, Colleen was just trying to look out for her. She had worked at the embassy for years and knew all about Javí’s past and didn’t want Eve to get hurt. Javíer Peña had never been proper boyfriend material.

“Look, everything is already planned. Dinner and dancing. Reservations were really hard to get. Be there at 8 and dress for salsa dancing. He’s taking you to the best club in the city after.”

 _“Colleeeen.”_ Eve whined like a little kid.

“Daniel is going to be there regardless.” Colleen sang out. “So don’t be rude and stand the poor guy up.”

“Will this make you shut up about Javí?”

“Maybe.” Colleen mocked on the other end of the line.

“Fine.” Eve spat out as she continued to pout.

Eve was so confused. She’d been so lonely lately, why was she so hesitant to hit the town and have some fun? But something just didn’t feel right about this. Maybe she really did have it bad for her boss.

“Van Ness is a nice guy. You never know, you might even thank me one day.” Colleen giggled.

“I’ll invite you to our wedding….” Eve groaned, making her friend laugh even harder as she hung up the phone.

Eve’s tiny apartment started to feel even smaller as the walls started to seemingly close in on her. Sure, Colleen talked a good game. Eve really did need to get out of her apartment and explore the city more. But salsa dancing? How in the hell was Eve going to learn how to salsa dance in 6 hours? This was sure to end in disaster!

Before Eve had really thought through all of her options, she was frantically knocking on Javí’s door, hoping that he was home.

Javíer was home that afternoon. But having only lived in the city in the past, he wasn’t used to the security that came with embassy housing. So when he heard someone loudly pounding on his door, fear and panic quickly spread through Javí’s chest.

In seconds, he had turned his shower off, wrapped a towel around his waist and found his gun. Even though he was on high alert, Javíer instinctively remembered his police training and approached his door as if he expected a shootout start at any minute.

“What the hell…” Javí muttered to himself as he strategically took cover against his wall and checked his peephole. Javí wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but his secretary freaking out on the other side of his door wasn’t it. “Are you okay?” Javí called out as he tucked his gun away in a drawer by his front door.

“No!” Eve blurted out. “Well, I guess I’m physically fine. But there is no universe in which I’m okay!”

Javí deftly unlocked his deadbolt and opened his door for her. Finally relaxing his shoulders as Eve sailed passed him and let herself into his apartment for the first time. Unknowingly giving him a nice view of her ass in her yoga leggings.

There was something about Eve dressed simply in a big oversized white v-neck band tee with her long hair loose and wild that grabbed Javí's attention. For as much time as they’ve spent together, he’d rarely seen her out of her work clothes. Her black bra strap was showing as her shirt fell off her shoulder, but she was too busy pacing in his living room to notice; but Javí sure did. He just hoped that his stupid towel didn’t sell him out and draw attention to how his body was responding to her off the clock look.

“Stupid. This is so dumb. I can’t believe I agreed to this.” Eve complained to herself as she paced the floor and raked her fingers through her hair. “I should have stuck to my guns and said no. But she was just so freaking _nice_. Like real nice, you know. And people are never nice to me. Well, they’re fake nice. Fuck, I hate really fake nice.” Eve rambled, more to herself than to Javí.

“Okay, I’ll bite. What should you have said no to?” Javí asked, clearly amused with her flustered oversharing.

“I have a stupid date tonight.” Eve whined and actually stomped her foot on the ground like a little kid having a temper tantrum.

 _“That’s_ your emergency?” Javí nearly burst out laughing.

“I need help. I’m going to look so ridiculous. This is going to be a disaster. I have no time to prepare.” Eve was on the verge of tears until her eyes finally landed on Javí, who was standing there listening to her intently with water dripping down his chest. He was a vision wearing nothing but a flimsy towel around his waist. “Wait, you're naked. Oh my god. I’ll go. I’m so sorry. What the fuck is wrong with me.”

“Stop. Sit.” Javí ordered as he pointed to his couch and quickly headed to his bedroom to throw on a pair of jeans and a clean shirt.

 _Eve has a date,_ Javí scowled to himself once he knew that she couldn’t see him. “So what's the problem?” Java called out from his bedroom.

 _“Colleen.”_ Eve groaned from his couch, as if just using the receptionist’s name would be enough explanation. “She set me up on a blind date like we’re in high school or something.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Javí asked as he walked back out into his living room, having only buttoned the last three buttons of his shirt; giving her a great view of his chest and neck.

Javíer could feel her checking him out and, even though they had agreed to keep things platonic between them, he enjoyed the attention.

“Nothing in theory, I guess...unless you count guilt tripping and twisting someone’s arm.” Eve sighed as he finished dressing in front of her. A big part of her really wished that he was back in his towel again and regretted not taking a better mental picture of him when she had the chance. “She planned the whole thing and went all out. Even gave us the fancy dinner reservations that she had for her and her boyfriend.”

“That was nice of her.”

“Who’s side are you on!” Eve playfully pouted until Javí sighed and smiled down at her.

“No one is forcing you to have a meal with the guy.” Javí reminded her, childishly hoping that she’d cancel. Even though he didn’t have a shot with her, he hated the idea of her hitting it off with someone else.

“The meal isn’t the problem.” Eve muttered as she pushed herself off the couch and started pacing again. As it turned out, when she was flustered, Eve just couldn’t sit still and Javí was starting to find all of her little personality quirks fascinating. “It’s the dancing afterwards that’s freaking me out. How I’m I going to learn how to salsa dance in less than 6 hours?”

“Salsa?” Javí chuckled. “And you think that I can help you with that? Is there something about me that screams salsa dancer to you?”

“Well, when you put it like that, I guess I’m screwed, aren’t I.” Eve grumbled as she crossed her arms and chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry for bothering you like this. I just have no one else to turn to. I have maybe 3 friends here, tops. Two of which are taking their kid to a birthday party today, and the other got me into this whole mess in the first place. I suck. Maybe I can fake food poisoning or something at dinner and call it a night.”

“That’s one option.” Javí jested as he tried not to smile too big. Just when he thought that he might have gotten Eve Capshaw out of his system, she shows up at his apartment; out of her mind and utterly adorable. “My mother was a dancer.” He found himself confessing to her as she started pacing around his living room again. “I might be able to help you with the basic steps. But I can’t promise anything.”

“Really!” Eve exclaimed like a little kid. “That’s all I really need, I’m sure I can fake the rest.”

Javíer’s eyes quickly darted around his living room before he turned his radio on and found the proper music. He really couldn’t believe that he was doing this, but as it turned out, saying no to Eve was harder than he ever imaged it would be.

“This never happened.” Javí sternly ordered as he looked her in the eyes and offered her his hand. Once she took it, Javí took advantage of the situation and swiftly pulled her against his chest and looked down at her through his eyelashes.

Eve nodded her head and found herself completely under his spell. The warmth of his hand seemed to spread throughout her entire body and she almost shivered when he placed his strong hand on her hip and squeezed. She wondered to herself if Javí had any idea of the effect that he had on her, or if this was the way all women responded to him and he was oblivious. Either way, the air all around them began to change as she boldly held his dark gaze and refused to look away.

 _What in the hell did she get herself into?_ Five minutes ago she was making a shopping list. Now, if the boss that she’s been trying to resist having sex with were to lead her into his bedroom, Eve would give in without a second thought.

Javíer had never been much of a dancer so he swallowed hard and tried to remember the steps that his mother had taught him decades ago before she died. But as nervous as Javí was about messing up and stepping on her toes, he couldn't help but notice the playful twinkle in Eve’s eyes. Those big blue eyes of hers were sure to be his undoing. The way she looked at him made him feel ten feet tall and had him forgetting about everything that wasn’t her and how beautiful she was.

Eve really had a way about her that made small moments fun and memorable. More times than not, her presence alone kept Javí from obsessing over matters that were out of his control. In the short time that they’ve known each other, Javíer was beginning to see her as a natural antidote to the poison he felt swimming inside him. All of the guilt he carried around with him from all his bad choices, somehow felt like a lighter load to carry when he made her smile.

What he wouldn’t give to be the kind of man that deserved to have a woman like her. The two of them couldn’t have been more different, but something just worked between them.

He was being seduced by her and the wonderful way she made him feel. It was rare for him to have to hold back and not act on his urges. If only Murphy could see him now; dancing in his living room with a Senator's daughter. One phone call to her father could surely have him fired or at the very least sent back to the states. But Eve Capshaw was simply temptation personified. He just couldn’t help himself.

“From what I remember, nothing is really choreographed.” Javí started to explain in a low voice, not taking his eyes away from Eve’s. “Just follow my lead, okay.”

“Umm.” Was all she could say. Not knowing that the sound of her hum went straight to his cock.

Eve really wanted to focus on his salsa lesson, but the warmth of his body and the smell of his body wash was starting to make her wet.

She knew she was going to mess up if he kept looking at her like that. He had no idea how rare it was for her to know without a shadow of a doubt that someone was looking at the real her. Not _‘Evelyn Caphaw, Senator Marcus Capshaw’s only daughter.’_ It was so refreshing to actually be seen for the person she was and not what her family connections could be used for.

Once Javí started moving, Eve tried to keep up. The two of them appeared to be learning together as they danced to the latin music and laughed at their mistakes. But for as much as he hated dancing, Javí really couldn’t picture himself anywhere else. Unfortunately, no matter how many times Javí encouraged her to relax her hips and flow with him, she just couldn’t do it.

“Move your hips. You’re stiff as a board.” Javí teased as he huffed at her lack of sensuality. “Maybe dancing isn’t your thing. It looks like you’re marching.”

“I can dance.” Eve grumbled at him under her breath.

“Oh, really?” Javí challenged as he raised an eyebrow. He loved messing with her and pressing her buttons, it was so easy and the adorable faces she made always made him smile.

“Look, I can foxtrot and out waltz your ass all day long.” She playfully gloated. “I also remember having a mean tango back in the day. I can even do…” Eve pushed herself out of his grasp and gracefully raised her arms above her head and stunned him by doing a perfect pirouette right in front of him even though she was dressed in leggings and sneakers.

“Whoa” Javí was completely dumbstruck. “I stand corrected. You’re a ballerina.”Javíer had never met a ballerina (or been to the ballet for that matter) but he was still very impressed.

“Ex-ballerina. I quit when I was 17.”

“You can really stand on your toes? Doesn’t that hurt?”

“Like a mother fucker.” Eve laughed at his stunned reaction while the two of them continued to practice the basic salsa steps; which were essentially stepping forward and backward in time with each other. “It's no small _feat._..get it?” Eve winked as Javí groaned at her terrible pun. “Ballerinas are tough chicks. You wouldn’t believe how competitive it was. I still have old injuries that mess with me. My feet are basically destroyed so I pretty much hate wearing heels more than the average secretary.”

“So don’t.” Javí countered as he swung her around and twirled her. Impressed that she was picking up his improvisational dance moves and followed his lead like a pro. Maybe she was a real dancer after all. “Wear flats to work. Hell, wear sneakers or slippers. I don’t care.” That was a lie. Javí's favorite distraction at work was checking out her ass as she walked around the office in her heels. But he’d gladly give up the view now that he knew her shoes hurt her so much.

“It’s part of the job.” Eve winked at him. “Just as annoying as you having to wear a stupid tie everyday, am I right?”

“Hey, thought I was nailing the boring bureaucrat look.” Javí pretended to be offended as he referred to their first conversation in their hallway and spontaneously spun her around again just to make her laugh.

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re failing miserably,” Eve giggled as her hair flew in her face. “You could never look boring. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat at my desk and fantasized about taking my scissors and cutting your tie off just to set you free.”

Javí laughed loudly at the thought and seeing him so happy and carefree pulled on Eve’s heartstrings in such an intense way. He deserved to have more happy moments like this. Most of the time he looked as though he had the whole weight of the world on his shoulders and it broke her heart.

“It’s nice to know that you fantasize about me.” Javíer playfully called her out and marveled that he had made her blush so easily. What he wouldn’t give to uncover every single one of her fantasies. He’d bend over backwards to fulfill every single one of them.

“I’m sure you’re the object of many women’s fantasies, Javíer.” Eve smiled up at him with laughter in her voice. “I’m just a lowly card carrying member of your fan club.”

“Look, just have a few drinks at dinner and loosen up a little bit.” Javí found himself giving her advice that deep down he hoped she wouldn’t take. “Salsa isn’t as technical as ballet. You’ve already picked up on the basic moves. Just have fun with it.”

Eve took a deep breath and dropped her shoulders. Javí was right. She was over thinking things and putting unneeded pressure on herself. Typical, that was the story of her life.

“Thank you, Javíer.” Eve sighed as she looked up at him. “This was fun. You really didn’t have to do this for me. I really appreciate it.”

“If you tell anyone about this, I’ll deny it.” Javí teased with a shy lopsided smile that was very un-Javí like.

“Your secret is safe with me.” Eve grinned. “Besides, I don’t think that anyone in the Javíer Peña fanclub would believe me anyway. The great Agent Peña - _salsa dancer extraordinaire.”_

Eve was at her most gorgeous when she was happy and flirting with him. Javíer could resist spinning her around twice and holding her as she smiled against his chest and caught her breath. He just hoped that she couldn’t feel how fast his heart started beating when she nuzzled her cheek against his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist.

“I’m a man of many talents.” Javí hummed into her hair as they swayed to the music. She smelled so good and he couldn’t describe how amazing it felt to feel her giggling against his chest. He was playing with fire, but it was impossible to resist resting his chin on the top of her head and breathing in the scent of her shampoo. In his heart he knew that he didn’t deserve a moment like this, but all the same, he really didn’t want it to end.

“I have no doubt.” Eve jested. Things were changing between them. But instead of running from how Javí made her feel, Eve decided to lean into it. It was exhausting trying to pretend that she didn’t want him. Especially when she was in arms. 

Eve finally looked up at him and a part of Javíer knew that he would always remember this moment. The look in her eyes simply took his breath away. It was almost as if Eve was able to convince him without words that he wasn’t alone in the world. It was raw and powerful and he wanted to crawl inside that moment and stay there forever. Soon, there was no turning back.

Javí made the first move by taking her hand and linking their fingers together. He placed their joined hands against his chest over his heart and stopped dancing. As the lively music played on, Javíer studied her eyes as her other hand traveled to the back of his neck and played with his damp hair. She was so beautiful, what the hell was Eve doing there with him. He had no business touching something so precious.

Eve wasn’t sure what had come over her, but it felt as though being in Javí’s arms was the only place in the world that she belonged. It was a clarity that Eve had never really felt before and it was completely intoxicating. She was simply fascinated by him and tried, in vain, to recall a time that she’d ever felt so safe, yet so alive at the same time. It was impossible to ignore how he made her feel.

_Fuck it._

“I quit.” Eve breathlessly whispered before she stood up on her tiptoes and boldly kissed his lips. As electric as their first kiss felt, there was an inevitability in it that neither of them could ignore. It just felt so right...and long overdue. But by god - as their slow loving kiss heated up and their teeth clashed and their tongues twisted - they were going to try and make up for lost time.

Eve held his face in both of her hands and tilted his head to deepen their kiss, trying to express the passion that was flowing through her veins. His mustache and perfect lips felt better than she thought they would and she couldn’t care less about the consequences. The deep groan that escaped Javíer’s chest spurred her on and she just couldn’t stop herself from pressing her body flush against his and meeting his primal groan with one of her own.

Javí had been caught off guard by her boldness, but he tried to keep up with her greedy lips and kiss her back in kind. She tasted better than he had imagined and her soft full lips were already making him hard. Man, did this woman ever know how to kiss. Eve made it feel like an art form and he never wanted to stop. They hadn’t even gotten to his bedroom yet, and she had completely slayed him with her courage.

Maybe it had been the weeks of not being able to have her that was fueling him, but Javí couldn’t recall any woman having this effect on him. He felt as though he were being swept away as he tasted her and buried his hands in her soft hair. But as overwhelmed as he was, Javí had to make sure that Eve was fine with this before they did something that they couldn’t take back.

“Is this okay?” Javí asked against her lips. He didn’t wait for her to answer before he brought his passionate attention to the side of her neck and was thrilled that she didn’t pull away or stop him. It had been weeks since his one night stand with that intern who’s name he couldn’t remember. Javí was tired of jerking off to the mental image he had of Eve every other night. But now that the object of his fantasies was here right in front of him, and he wanted to make sure that this was actually going to happen with no regrets. 

“Yes” Eve hissed as she fumbled at the button of his jeans and palmed his hardening cock through the denim. “Don’t stop...we should have done this ages ago.”

“Fuck, I was hoping you’d say that. But is this...damn, you smell so good.” Javí practically growled against her neck as he grabbed her ass and tried to push his cock against her so she could feel the effect that she was having on him. “Isn’t this sexual harassment, or some shit?”

“I’m the one that’s _literally_ trying to get into your pants, Peña.” Eve wickedly smiled up at him as she walked him backwards towards his couch and gave him a little shove to make him sit. “You can follow my lead now.”

“I like the way you think.” Javí praised as he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him. “Let’s see the way you move, Capshaw.”

Eve pulled off her shirt in one fluid motion and Javíer couldn’t help but take her ample breasts in his hands and touch her the way he’d been fantasizing about since he met her.

Their lips found each other again and Javí found himself smiling when Eve giggled into his mouth as she began to card her fingers through his hair like she had always wanted to.

“I’ve always wanted to touch you…” Eve whispered in his ear with the purest joy in her voice.

“I’ve always wanted to taste you.” Javíer countered as he pulled her into another searing kiss. Javí couldn’t believe that this was finally happening so he took his time and kissed her so thoroughly that Eve had to remind herself to breathe. Expressing themselves without words was so effortless. In no time at all they had found their rhythm and couldn’t stop.

“Oh, this is going to be a problem.” Eve cutely whimpered as she rubbed her nose against his and moaned while he ran his hands up her back and let his fingers dance down her soft skin.

“What’s going to be a problem?” Javíer hummed while he ran his nose up her cheek and breathed in her sweet perfume. She was already so responsive to him, he couldn’t believe his luck.

“I thought that this was going to be good...but not this good.”

“We haven’t even started yet.” Javí chuckled as he brushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ears. She had always been so honest with him. It was endearing in a way that he couldn’t begin to describe.

“I know. That’s my point.” Eve sighed. Kissing had never felt so satisfying before. She could still feel him on her lips and taste him on her tongue. If she wasn’t really careful, she was going to end up falling in love with this man.

Javí pulled her down to meet his lips again and, as he sucked on her bottom lip, Eve began to roll her hips against his cock. Her movements were driving him so crazy that Javí wasn’t sure how he found the strength to pry his lips away from her again.

“Is this what you want, baby?” Javí darkly asked as he pressed his forehead against hers and grabbed her hips and guided her movements. Pushing her down into his lap, while at the same time raising his hips up to meet her.

“Yes.” Eve hissed as she felt her cunt rub up against him again and again. The friction felt so divine that she had a hard time controlling the sounds that she made. Eve tried to kiss him again, if only to try and silence herself. But Javí denied her and opted to watch her reaction intensely as she whimpered and rubbed up against him. “Fuck. It’s been so long, Javí. You might actually make me come like this.”

“Say my name again...just like that.” Javí demanded as he tangled his large hands in her hair and held her in place so their lips were close but not touching.

 _“Javí.”_ Eve breathlessly moaned out his name as she shameless tried to find her release in his lap. “Make me come, Javí.”

“That’s it.” Javí encouraged her as she rode his clothed cock faster. He had fantasized about making her come countless times, there was a part of him that couldn’t believe that she was really in lap and already halfway there. This was actually happening. “Hermosa. You drive me crazy.”

“Touch me.” Eve begged with her voice trembling. Hearing him slip up and utter Spanish because of her turned her on and only fueled her desire for him. It was just so honest and real. Deep in her soul Eve had always craved that kind of authenticity. “Please. I need you.”

The raw desperation in her voice caused Javí to jump into action and soon they were ripping at each other’s clothes. Separating briefly to wiggle out of their jeans and leggings, bumping their heads together like amateurs which caused them both burst out laughing. Then, before they knew it. Eve was back straddling Javí’s lap where she belonged.

“Fuck...you’re gorgeous.” Javí praised as he took in the sight of her naked body on top of him. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Referring to her head.

“I will be.” Eve purred as she lovingly pressed her lips to his temple where they had accidentally hit each other. “Let me...” Eve whined as she licked her lips and took his very impressive cock into her hands. Desperate to have him in her mouth.

“Oh baby, I’d love to fuck your mouth, but I won't last.” Javí groaned while he shook his head. God she was incredible. He was so keyed up that Eve had him feeling like an inexperienced teenager for the first time in decades.

Eve tried to playfully pout at being denied but when Javí slowly pressed two fingers inside her wet cunt, she couldn’t help but groan in delight and forget what she was supposed to be upset about. Javíer made her feel powerful and sexy and she never wanted that feeling to end.

“So wet and ready for me already.” Javí praised with his voice sounding like smooth velvet.

“Oh, Javí.” Eve moaned as she placed a lingering kiss to his forehead and enjoyed the feeling of his fingers filling her. “So good, baby. Just like that.”

Eve's perfect combination of sweet and sexy had Javí so wound up. He needed to regain some control, so he collected her hair at the base of her neck with his free hand and pulled so that her chin would point to the ceiling.

Eve couldn’t help but dig her fingers into his shoulders and tighten her thighs around his hips in response. His passion for her made her feel dizzy and she loved that he was both rough and playful with her. What more could a woman want.

“You like that.” Javí taunted her against her neck while he explored her wetness and felt her arousal coat his fingers and the excess drip down his hand. He searched for her sweet spot while, at the same time, rubbed circled around her clit with the pad of his thumb.

“God, yes. Be rough, I won't break.” Eve moaned as all of her senses were tuned to him and what he was doing to her body. She unabashedly rode his fingers as he gripped her hair tighter, almost to the point of pain, with his other hand

All manner of dirty thoughts danced through Javí’s mind as he watched her blissed out on top of him. Those blue eyes of hers that he loved so much were blown out with lust and the sound of her wetness filled the room as he pumped into her with his fingers. It was a beautiful sight.

He took pride in the fact that he had managed to make her so wet already and couldn’t wait to fill her up and make her come on his cock. He went from breast to breast, kissing, sucking and biting. All of the noises she made were music to his ears. Why in the hell did they ever wait so long?

Javí hooked his finger just right and soon Eve was throwing her head back and crying out as she came against his hand.

Eve couldn’t believe that she had come so quickly. But she figured that's what happens after weeks of foreplay and pinning. Not to mention having an experienced lover that knew exactly what he was doing.

“Wow, I needed that.” Eve breathlessly laughed as she rolled her head back to him and rested her forehead against his, causing him to smile when her long hair fell all around them. Creating their own private tent.

“I'm going to really enjoy making you come again.” Javíer promised as he brought his fingers to his mouth and tasted her arousal. Eve watched him in awe as he licked his fingers while looking so damn proud of himself.

 _And why shouldn't he be proud,_ Eve thought to herself. He had just made her come so hard that she was still trembling. She loved this sexy side of Javí; all dark and playful but with a longing in his eyes that she identified with in such an intimate and intense way.

She wanted to taste herself, as well so she dove down and kissed him while he sucked on his fingers. Her tongue created an interesting sensation as it twisted and laced between his lips and his fingers.

“Fuck!” Javí gasped as he pulled away and held her face in his hands. “You’re better than I ever could have imagined.”

“I was about to say the same thing to you.” Eve wickedly smirked and was rewarded with a groan from the back of his throat.

Eve still felt the tingling sensation of her climax when she took his warm cock in her hand and guided him through her slick folds. She wanted nothing more than to start wantonly fucking him and to make him feel as good as he had just made her feel. But his cock filled her so completely and stretched her almost to the point of discomfort. Once he was fully seated inside her, Javí noticed her wince so he calmly encouraged her to take a moment to adjust to his generous size before she started really fucking him the way that she wanted to.

“Shhh, princesa.” Javí tenderly cooed as Eve began to tremble. Even though she felt like heaven, he took a moment to run his hands up and down her back to comfort her and slow her down.

Normally Eve hated it when anyone called her princess. But the reverence in Javí’s voice when he called her _princesa_ made her melt. It was so pure, almost as if the words were coming straight from his heart without a single trace of an insult.

“Go slow, baby.” Javí insisted as he left kisses along her jaw and down the side of her neck. He was delighted that Eve enjoyed sex just as much as he did and was flattered that she was so impatient to fuck him. “You feel so damn good. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“But I want you.” Eve whined as she squeezed her walls around him and watched as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. “I’ve wanted you for so long…”

“You have me… you’ve always had me.” Javí couldn’t help but groan as he pushed up into her as far he could go. Earning him the same expression that he had just given her. “So fucking beautiful.”

They started slow and met each other thrust for thrust as they looked into each other’s eyes. It was almost too much intimacy for both of them and they had to start kissing each other again. It was easier to focus on anything else than the way their hearts were opening to each other. Neither of them were ready to feel what they were feeling for each other.

Soon, the way that Javí touched and caressed her spurred her on and made her forget everything that wasn’t his cock pistoning into her.

“You're so wet.” Javí hummed against her lips.

“I wonder how that happened.” Eve sassed back and was rewarded with a sharp slap to her ass for teasing him. “Fuck.” She hissed as she gripped his hair and began to meet his upward thrusts even harder.

“Too much?”

“Not enough.” she gasped with laughter in her voice. “Do it again.”

Javí picked up the pace and slapped her ass again, groaning when the pleasure and pain caused her to squeeze his cock. He could tell that she was close so he licked his thumb before finding her clit and rubbed short circles around it. He marveled at the way that she used his body and rode him harder.

“Come for me, princesa.” Javí encouraged her in a voice that bordered on desperation. He was right the first time; he wasn’t going to last. The way she rode him was just too intense and he really wanted this to draw this out for as long as possible. But soon, her body obeyed him and Eve felt the crashing waves of her second climax wash over her as she gripped the back of his hair in her fists. “That’s it, baby.”

“So...Good.” Were the only words that Eve could form as Javí pulled out and stood up from the couch with her in his arms.

“I love the way you move, baby.” Javí groaned through his teeth as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “But it’s my turn.”

Javí brought her to his bedroom and unceremoniously dropped her on his bed with a bounce. He took his cock in his hand and gave himself a few strokes as he enjoyed the sound of her laughter. She looked so good in his bed with her inner thighs glistening with her wetness. He wanted to remember her just like this. Happy, sexy, and all his.

“So this is where the great Agent Peña rests his head, huh?” Eve teased as she looked around his bare bedroom and watched in awe as he slowly pleasured himself. “My room is right on the other side of this wall...is now a good time to let you know how many times I’ve gotten off to the thought of you in here.”

“Show me.” Javíer demanded as he let go of his cock to spread her legs wide.

 _What the hell,_ Eve thought as her hands traveled down to her cunt. She started slow and showed him exactly how she liked to tease herself and reveled in the fact that she had Javíer Peña’s complete and undivided attention.

Eve had never done this for a man before but threw her head back with a content sigh and found that she wasn’t embarrassed at all.  
There was very little that she wouldn’t do for Javí at that moment. He made her feel bold and brave; yet profoundly safe at the same time. Her pleasure was obviously very important to him and it was a euphoric feeling that she hadn’t experienced with many men.

Soon, Eve felt the bed dip as Javíer knelt on the bed and hooked his arms under her thighs and pulled her closer to him. “Hermosa.” He hummed to himself and he brought his face to her pussy, licking his lips.

“Wait, you don’t have to.” Eve started to protest when she realized what his intentions were. “I mean...if you don’t like it. I’m not expecting you to…”

Javíer was puzzled by her reaction but kissed the inside of her thigh with the biggest smile on his face. “Oh, Eve.” he chuckled as he continued to tease her and tickle her sensitive skin with his mustache. “But what if I want to? What if I _really really_ want to?”

“I’m sorry.” Eve apologized as she covered her face with her hands and giggled. Javí hummed against her inner thigh and tried to remember a time that he had laughed this much during sex. “In the past, this part is usually skipped, if you know what I mean.” Eve confessed through her laughter.

“Jesus, What kind of men have you been with?” Javíer shook his head in disgust as he pushed two fingers inside her and exposed her clit with his other hand.

 _“Boys.”_ Javí answered his own question with a playful scoff as she softly moaned and squeezed her walls around his fingers in anticipation. He made sure that Eve was looking him in the eye before he slowly dragged his tongue over her clit. “Who in their right mind would ignore such a perfect pussy.”

Once Javíer’s flattened tongue started to lap at her, Eve’s hips had a mind of their own and continued to rise from the mattress. But Javí’s experienced tongue kept up with her and did things to her that she couldn’t ever begin to describe.

Eve had only one partner in the past that had somewhat enjoyed going down on her. But that was so long ago that she’d almost forgotten how euphoric it felt. But even that experience couldn’t compete with the way that Javí was making her feel as he enthusiastically ate her with abandon.

“Yes, Javí.” Eve panted and moaned as Javí refused to leave any inch of her cunt untouched by his lips and tongue. She was so close and couldn’t believe that she was about to come for the third time. “Just like that.”

Javí knew exactly what he was doing, but it helped that Eve was so vocal, he knew just what she liked. He started to increase his efforts as he sucked on her clit and pumped his fingers against her sweet spot at just the right angle. And soon Eve’s hands were gripping his hair tightly as she came against his face; breathing out his name over and over again.

But Javíer didn’t stop. He stayed there between her thighs and lapped up all of her new juices and groaned in delight as if she were the most delicious thing that he’d ever tasted. It was raw and primal the way he cleaned her and extended her orgasm for a long as possible.

“Again, princesa. I know you can give me another one.” Javí ordered against her inner thigh with his handsome face glistening with her arousal.

“I think you have that the other way around, baby.” Eve purred as she looked down at him and tenderly ran her fingers through his hair to make up for pulling it so hard while she was coming. “You’re the one doing the giving.”

“I could eat this sweet pussy all day long.” Javí happily smirked up at her after he kissed her pussy as if it were her mouth. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” 

Eve believed every word and grabbed his pillow from the top of his bed and placed it under her head to get more comfortable as he began to eat her again at a slow and languid pace. She was in awe of his skill and couldn’t decide if she wanted to close her eyes and enjoy the moment, or watch him lick her as if they had all the time in the world.

Javí continued to impress her as he moaned into her and worshiped her body. He slowly brought her to the edge again and sucked on her clit until she came in his mouth; moaning out his name again. No man had ever taken the time to learn her body the way that Javíer did. She wondered if she’d be able to walk afterwards.

“Get up here.” Eve playfully ordered as he started to licked her clean again. “I need you in my mouth.”

Javíer didn’t need to be told twice and the two of them traded places and Eve laughed as he crossed his arms under his head and got more comfortable.

Now it was Eve’s turn to impress Javí with her oral talents.

“Fuck.” Javí hissed as she took his cock in her hand and ran her tongue along the underside of him, tracing her tongue along every vein. “I’m not gunna last.”

“You said that before.” Eve pointed out with a wink. “Then you went and made me come three times.”

“Four times.” Javí corrected her as she stroked him slowly.

“I stand corrected. You must have fucked me stupid.” Eve hummed before she took as much of him in her mouth as she could without gagging.

Javíer really wished that he could enjoy the warmth of her mouth longer, but the way that she sucked him while she bobbed her head had him seeing stars.

“Those pretty lips look so good wrapped around my cock.” Javí praised as he pressed his chin to chest and looked down at her. Her blue eyes met his brown ones and there was no turning back. Javí belonged to her and there was nothing that he could do about. “Fuck.” Javí cursed as he grabbed her roughly by her hair and pulled her up to his lips. He sucked on her top lip, then repeated the same to her bottom lip. She could taste herself still on him and moaned into his mouth as she stroked his cock at the same time.

“Come in my mouth, Javí.” Eve begged as he sucked on her neck hard enough to leave his mark on her. “Come for me, baby. I want to taste you, too.”

All Javí could do was huff something that sounded like a ‘yes’ and Eve traveled down his body and ran her swollen lips up and down his shaft.

Eve knew he was close when Javí started squirming on the bed and gripped the blankets so tightly that his knuckles went white. She couldn’t help but moan against his cock at the sight of him coming undone because of her and her mouth. The noises that he made were driving her insane so she doubled her efforts and took him to the back of her throat faster. She was on a mission to make him come and give him back just a tiny bit of the passion that he had shared with her.

She swirled her tongue around him again and again while stroking him in time with her mouth. The gagging and slurping sounds that her mouth made were obscene, but Javí was so close to coming that she didn’t care.

Soon his body went rigid and he gripped her hair tightly to stop her as he spilled into her mouth with a garbled roar that sounded like a combination of yes, princesa, and her name. 

Eve swallowed his come with a delighted hum and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. All the while having Javí sigh loudly above her.

“Come ‘er.” Javí laughed as he pulled her naked body up against his side. She fit so perfectly against him, almost like two puzzle pieces joined together. But for as perfect as she felt, he’d sell his soul for a smoke.

“That was...that was really good.” Eve stated the obvious with a satisfied smirk on her face.

“Good? That was amazing.” Javí laughed up at the ceiling.

“I hate to be a buzzkill.” Eve started to explain while she drew small figure eights on his chest with her finger. “But this has to stay between us.”

“You’re not quitting.” Javí ordered into her hair once he remembered what she had said before she kissed him. She was the only one in his office that seemed to care about bringing the Cali cartel to justice and he didn't want to lose her. He wouldn’t even know where to begin finding files now thanks to the new system she had put in place.

“Did you want this to be a one time thing?” Eve tried to casually ask without too much emotion in her voice. The last thing she needed was a clingy boyfriend complicating her life right now. Javí didn’t seem like the type, but she’s been wrong before.

“No.” Javí considered as he ran his fingers up and down her arm. “I think I’d like to do this again. But, Eve.” Javí sighed as he tried to find the right words. He really wanted to see where things could go between them. But he needed to prepare her because he couldn't bear the thought of hurting her with his lack of experience with relationships. “I’m not really good at being the boyfriend type.”

“Good, because I’m a terrible girlfriend!” Eve giggled against his chest. Missing the frown on Javí’s face when he was hurt by her reaction.

“Just don’t quit.” Javí insisted as he kissed her temple. How many times had he tried to let women down easy, and here he was on the other side of rejection. “We can just play it by ear.”

“Well, if we plan on doing this again, and I’m not quitting.” Eve sighed as she got up out of bed despite him trying to keep her in his arms. “I have a date to get ready for.”

“You’re kidding.” Javí scoffed. “You’re not still going on that blind date, are you?”

“Colleen is already on to us...well, she’s on to _me,_ at least.” Eve explained as she went to collect her clothes in the living room and missed the childish eye roll he gave her. “I have to humor her or she’ll have the whole office talking about us. And that’s the last thing that we want, right?”

“So I’m just supposed to just sit here tonight while you’re at a club with some guy drooling all over you? Cold, Eve.” Javí called back to her, only half joking. 

“One more thing, boss.” Eve ignored his teasing as she placed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Page me at, I dunno, maybe around 8:30-8:45?”

“Why?”

“So I can fake an emergency and leave to dance with the guy I really wanna dance with.” Eve winked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“Savage.” Javí sighed to himself as he watched her skip out of his bedroom and out of his apartment.

As he laid on his bed, naked and well fucked, Javí couldn’t believe that Eve had just left him there. To go on a date with another man, no less.

He had no right to be upset considering how many times he’d done the very same thing to various women in his life. But now that the shoe was on the other foot, Javí didn’t like it one bit and longed to have Eve back in his bed. She was really going to give him a run for his money.

Before he could feel too sorry for himself and get too lonely, Javí heard a soft knock coming from the other side of his bedroom wall that made a big grin stretch across his face. Thanks to the cheap drywall separating their apartments, neither of them were ever really alone.

 _“Thanks for the dance, Peña.”_ Eve sweetly thanked him from her bedroom.

“Anytime, Capshaw.” Javí smiled to himself as he nestled into his pillow and loved that it still smelled like her perfume. She was worth it, Javí decided as he drifted off to sleep.


	7. White Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Violence against women & attempted mugging/rape (key word is attempted)

Eve checked herself out in the mirror and wasn’t quite sure if she was wearing the right thing for her date with Van Ness. She didn’t even know if she had anything in her closet that screamed fancy - _yet platonic_ \- blind date, in the first place. 

Unfortunately, after her long lazy shower, she didn’t have a lot of time to figure it out. She ended up settling for a simple dark grey, knee length dress that she bought for one of her grandmother’s infamous tea parties. 

It had been fancy enough to fit in with all of the other debutants; but plain enough to not be missed when Eve inevitably made her sneaky early exit. The overall sentiment seemed to fit well with her current predicament so she went with that one. Granted, if she hadn’t fucked half of the day away with Javí next door, she’d have more than enough time to glam herself up a little bit more. 

But the more she thought about it, the more Eve didn’t want to look too nice. Eve had no reason to believe that Daniel was a bad guy, and felt bad that he had gotten roped into this mess because of her. It wouldn’t be fair to lead him on and have him think that she was dressing up for him and that he had a realistic shot with her. Because as it stood, there was only one man in Columbia that Eve hoped to impress, and it wasn’t her date for the evening.

She’d never really gone to so much trouble for a man before. But she wasn’t willing to let go of this thing that she had started with Javíer - _not yet anyway._ Therefore, Eve was going to grin and bear tonight if it kept Colleen from gossiping about them and drawing attention to their fling.

Eve was well aware that all of this could still blow up in her face. Colleen wasn’t dumb and Eve was terrible at pulling off any kind of duplicity. To her credit, Eve had never been stupid enough to sleep with any of her bosses in the past. But there was something so irresistible about Javíer Peña that had Eve breaking all of her rules. She just had to cross her fingers and hope that everything worked out. But _hope and pray,_ wasn’t exactly something that Eve was used to doing. 

Eve applied her make up and thought about the way she had left Javíer’s apartment after they had slept together. It had been a lot harder than she thought it would be to pry herself out of Javí’s arms and skip out of his apartment as if he were nothing more than a good time. 

Amazing sex aside, being with Javí was just too easy; especially when they were no longer trying to deny their attraction to each other. The way he looked at her...it was as if he really saw her and it touched her in ways that she just couldn’t seem to shake. People that she had grown up with and known for years, still looked at her as a member of some kind of political dynasty and never took the time to notice how disgusted she was about the whole thing. A part of her had given up trying to find anything real in this world...and then Javíer Peña showed up.

The last thing that she expected was softness from him. The way that he tenderly kissed her had been full of unspoken promises that touched her soul in ways that she had been trying to erase from her mind ever since she left his apartment. He not only made her feel wanted and sexy, but he made her feel adored. It was a deadly combination that was bound to get them hurt.

For as great as Javí was, Eve decided that she really had to put a little bit of distance between them before she started catching real feelings for him. Because for all of the times that Eve had fantasized about sleeping with Javí, she had gotten a lot more than she had bargained for. She hadn’t expected him to be so open and soft with her...but more than that, she hadn’t expected to like it so much.

A little blush, lipgloss and eyeliner later, Eve looked presentable enough to head out the door. She’d actually spent more time attempting to cover the hickey that Javí left on her neck then applying makeup to her face. He marked her and a dark part of her heart _loved_ it. It was a shame that she had to try and cover it before she left. 

She called for a taxi and quickly doubled back to her bedroom to grab her pager so she’d have her excuse to bail out early. 

Eve hadn’t gotten any better at latching her apartment door. Just about everything in embassy housing was just as cheap as the paper thin walls. But as she struggled with the lock, she heard familiar footsteps coming her way.

Javí’s jaw dropped when he saw her in the hallway. He had hoped that he could make it to the liquor store and back without running into Eve. After she left him that afternoon, he had spent the better part of the day stewing in the fact that she had the upper hand with him and decided that he wanted to avoid her as much as possible. Especially since she was going to be spending the evening with another man. But all of his efforts fell flat when he saw her all dressed up. 

“You look nice.” Javí praised in a taunting tone. He hated how gorgeous she looked; all wasted on another man. 

“You think?” Eve played along as she locked her door and gave him her best curtsy. Javí was still upset with her and Eve tried not to find his grumpiness as adorable as it was.

“So you’re really doing this?” Javí sighed as his eyes drank her in from head to toe. She looked amazing and he was jealous that she wasn’t dressed up for him. He didn’t like having these cave man impulses, but he couldn’t help it. There was something about Eve that had awoken parts of him that he forgot existed. 

“Come here, baby.” Eve cooed as she cupped his face with her hands and pulled him closer to her. “I know that this is a less than ideal situation.”

“You think?”

 _“Javí.”_ Eve sighed. He was simply adorable and the last thing that she wanted to do was hurt him. “Do you want more days like today?”

“Of course I do.” Javí hummed as he put his shopping bag on the floor and placed his strong hands on her hips. Slowly pushing her up against the wall beside her door. Eve held his dark gaze and let him collect the material of her dress in his hands and inch the hem higher and higher until she was practically exposed in the middle of the hallway. “Look at you, huh.” Javí praised as he licked his perfect lips. “All dressed up... _hermosa._ I’m not nearly finished with you.” 

“If we want to have more days like today, then this date is a necessary evil.” Eve tried to keep her voice steady, but she was powerless against Javí’s sexy stare. Those sincere brown eyes of his could break through all of her defences and make her feel all of the things that she knew she shouldn’t let herself feel. “If Colleen thinks I’m dating, she’ll stop thinking I have the hots for you.”

Javí didn’t look convinced and looked away from her with a scoff. But that didn’t stop him from slipping his fingers past the material of her lace panties at the same time. She gasped in awe and loved how bold he was. She was also thankful that they were the only two units on their floor. But, she had to admit, the thought of getting caught sent a thrill through her veins.

“Do you?” 

“Huh?” Eve asked with her eyes closed. Javí’s skilled finger made it difficult to think straight.

“Still have the hots for me?”

“You have no idea.” Eve moaned out her words as he collected her wetness and rubbed slow circles around her clit. 

“Good.” Javí practically growled against her ear. “Because I don’t like this at all.

“Do you trust me?” Eve softy moaned as he pleasured her at a lazy pace, as if they had all the time in the world. “Because if you don’t trust me, this is a giant waste of time.”

“I’m being childish, aren’t I?” Javí asked in a low voice, delighting in how wet he had made her already. She was just so perfect, it almost felt as though he was dreaming when they were together.

“A little bit.” Eve giggled at him. “But it’s a nice look on you.” 

Javí had a dark mischievous twinkle in his eye as he took a knee in front of her and pushed her panties off to the side. 

Eve bit her bottom lip and held her breath while she watched him admire her in such a vulnerable state. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get my fill of you.” Javí proclaimed, speaking more to her pussy then to her face. 

On some level Eve must have known what Javí intended to do, but she still didn’t quite believe it when he pressed his lips to the apex of her thighs and started to kiss and lick her pussy in the middle of the hallway.

He encouraged her to spread her legs apart a little bit further to give him room to eat her. The more of her he tasted the more vocal he became as he growled into her and placed one of her legs over his shoulder. He opened his mouth wide and toyed with her as he lapped her and dragged his tongue over her clit over and over again; exactly the way he had earlier. 

Eve forgot all about the taxi that was probably waiting for her and dropped her purse on the floor by her feet. This was the only place she really wanted to be anyway.

“Oh fuck, Javí.” Eve groaned as she ran her fingers through his hair and tried to keep her balance even though his tongue made her legs tremble. “Did I mention earlier that you’re really fucking good at that?” 

Javíer smiled against her flesh as he doubled his efforts and brought her quickly to the brink. But just as the desire coiling in her belly was about to snap, he abruptly stopped and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“There you go, _princess._ ” Javí mocked with a smirk on his face. Using the American pronunciation to show his disapproval with her. “That’s all you get for now.”

“You’re kidding.” Eve huffed as she took her leg off his shoulder and tried to stand on her wobbly legs. “You ass, I was so close.”

“I know.” Javí chuckled. He stood to face her and rubbed his nose against hers while she panted and tried to control her breathing. “I’ll be more than happy to finish you off after your date.”

“What’s stopping me from having my date finish me off?” Eve fired back, annoyed that he had toyed with her like that. The truth was, she had every single intention of coming home to Javíer that night. But she didn’t appreciate his possessiveness one bit. 

“Nothing is stopping you.” Javí shrugged as he tried to play cold and aloof. Attempting to hide his true feelings for her. He couldn’t tell if he was pissed off or turned on by her fire. But either way, he was right before; Eve was going to be a handful. He just hoped that he was up for the challenge because he felt so alive when they were together. “If you think he can make you feel as good as I do,…be my guest.”

“I thought you’d be a better liar, Javí.” Eve smirked at him, not believing that he’d be so willing to see her spend the night with her mystery date instead of him. 

“I don’t want to share you.” Javí confessed as he placed soft kisses along her jawline and the back of her ear. Eve could see right through him and he never thought he’d find that such a sexy quality. “I want to make you call out my name, princesa.”

 _“Share me?”_ Eve giggled as she relished the feeling of his warm lips on her skin. “Wow, Javí. You make red flags seems really fucking sexy, you know that?”

Going to work on Monday was going to be interesting thanks to their new dynamic. This was exactly the kind of shit that she had been trying to avoid.

“Red flags?” Javí couldn’t help but laugh along with her. Eve brought out the joy in the most unusual situations, Javí was in awe of her. 

“I’m not yours to share.” Eve purred as she boldly cupped his very noticeable erection in the palm of her hand. It was nice to know that eating her out in a semi public place had him so turned on, but she really needed to set some boundaries with him so they could keep fucking each other without complications “We had one _very enjoyable_ afternoon. And I really want to have more of those...a lot more, if I’m being completely honest. But I’m not your girlfriend, Peña .”

Javí had never had a woman look him in the eye and say those words to him while she (quite literally) had his cock in the palm of her hand. If she were anyone else, Javíer would have enjoyed hearing that he continue to fuck her with no strings attached. But hearing those words coming from Eve stung.

Eve watched Javíer process her words and could tell that she had hurt him. After getting to know him these past few weeks, she would gladly walk on broken glass to keep from adding more stress into his life. But for as protective as she was of him, Eve was not going to have a repeat of her last relationship. 

“Understood.” Javí whispered in a way that completely broke Eve’s heart. She took her hand away from his cock and wondered if she had completely wrecked their friendship. A part of her knew that she was lying to herself about her feelings for him, but distance was as much for his protection as it was for hers. 

“Remember to page me, okay. Maybe we could grab a drink after?” Eve asked as she tried to get him to look at her in the eye again. “My taxi is probably waiting for me outside…”

Javí nodded but, before she could leave, he took her hand and stopped her. Without words he pressed a soft lingering kiss to her forehead. Eve closed her eyes and felt a warmth spread through her entire body that completely took her breath away. Javí poured so much of his heart into the way that he touched her. Eve had never met a man like him. 

“Have fun, Eve.” Javí murmured as he kissed her forehead one last time.

“I probably won't.” Eve whispered back before she collected all her self control and left to catch her cab. But the second she exited the building, Eve knew that she was making a mistake. She took a deep breath and used the ride to the restaurant to put her game face on and play the part of the blushing blind date. 

But Eve couldn't help but feel as though she had left a part of herself in that hallway with Javí and she wanted to get it back as soon as possible.

\---------------------------

Colleen was right; Agent Daniel Van Ness was 100% Eve’s type. He was funny and charming and so hot that he had the wait staff eating out of the palm of his hand as they ordered their food. It helped that he never once mentioned her family or politics and treated her like a real person. That was a rare quality to find in the men that she usually had to socialize with.

He was also really easy to talk to. So much so that, after about 15 minutes, Eve couldn’t believe that they had just met. Her and Daniel had so much in common it was uncanny. It was really the best set up that Eve had ever been on.

The only two problems were - One, Eve couldn’t stop thinking about the way Javí had kissed her forehead before she left. And two, Daniel was utterly and completely in love with his estranged wife.

Eve wasn’t exactly sure how the subject of his wife had come up. But before she knew it, Daniel had started seeing Eve more as his marriage counselor than his hot date for the evening. Which was a relief to Eve because she really didn’t want to hurt the guy’s feelings when she had to let him down easy afterwards.

“I’m sorry.” Daniel laughed at how ridiculous he was being. “This isn’t exactly the dream date that Colleen had planned for us, huh?”

“It’s fine.” Eve playfully sang out as she and took a sip of her wine. “Your wife sounds wonderful, by the way. I’m sorry that she wouldn’t come to Columbia with you. I probably would have really liked her.”

“You would’ve.” Daniel attested while he sipped his beer. “But I’m sure she’s gunna serve me divorce papers the second that I get back to the states.” He sadly sighed as he shook his head. “She’s a passionate all or nothing kinda woman.”

“My favourite kind.” Eve winked, implying that she was that kind of woman, as well. “You’re obviously crazy about her and that doesn’t come along very often. I’m far from a relationship expert, but my advice is not to give up on her so easily. Some things in life are worth fighting for.”

“Even if she wants to divorce me?”

“From what you’ve told me, she could’ve been bluffing with her ultimatum.” Eve shrugged. “She might have just been trying to get you to stay with her. I’ve never been in love. But I’ve heard that it can make you do some really crazy desperate things.” 

“You’re right about that.” Van Ness chuckled while he thought about his wife back home. “When we first got together you wouldn’t believe the stupid things I did to get her attention. Wait - you’ve really never been in love?”

“I got close a few times.” Eve admitted while she played with her wine glass, not wanting to go into too much detail. “But nothing to really write home about.”

“Well, I’m a little jealous.” Daniel chuckled as he dug into his food. “Love can drive you absolutely crazy sometimes.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Eve smiled as she watched him eat and wondered if Javíer had forgotten to page her. For as lovely as Van Ness was, she really wanted to get back home and finished what Javí had started in their hallway. The tender way that he had kissed her before she left had her longing for more of the same loving attention.

“Not hungry?” Van Ness asked with his mouth full, obviously not trying to impress her anymore now that they knew they weren’t going to work out as a couple. “Colleen was right, the food here is awesome and you’ve barely touched your plate.”

“I’m actually waiting for a -” No sooner had the words left her lips; the sound of her pager rang out and Van Ness started laughing at her.

“Let me guess?” He chuckled as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Is that your _backup emergency_ calling?” 

“Busted.” Eve laughed along with him. “I’m sorry, you’re great and all...Do you mind?”

“Not at all. But here, give him a call. Instead of finding a payphone.” Van Ness suggested while he dug into his pocket for his bulky office issued cell phone. 

“How do you know it’s a _him_ paging me?” Eve questioned him with a comically raised eyebrow.

“They way your eyes lit up. That, and the hickey you tried to cover up on your neck.” Van Ness knowingly smiled at her but laughed when her eyes went wide and she instinctively covered the mark with her hand. “I’m not offended if you want to call it a night. I can’t dance anyway and I think we’ve hung out long enough to make Colleen happy.”

“Thanks.” Eve sighed. “You’re a really nice guy.”

“I know, I know. _‘It’s not you, it’s me’ and all that jazz.”_ Van Ness teased her and pretended to break up with her. “I’m going to head to the restroom. Call your guy. It’s not that late.”

“Javí?” Eve smiled into Daniel’s cell phone when Javíer answered his phone on the first ring.

“How is your night going?” he asked her in a low voice. Eve could tell that he was smoking on the other end of the line and it bothered her that he was stressed out enough to start up again. He was doing so well with his nicorette gum.

“Not bad, actually.” Eve admitted as she puffed out an amused laugh. “He’s not a terrible guy and we got along really well. Colleen isn’t a half bad matchmaker, to be honest.”

Javí didn’t like the sound of this and ran his hand down his face as he braced himself for rejection. 

“...but he’s madly in love with his wife back in the states.” Eve continued. “And more importantly; he’s not you. I’m heading back now...I miss you.”

Her admission caused the breath to hitch in Javí’s throat. She hardly sounded like the distant woman that she had pretended to be in the hallway a few hours ago. _She missed him._

“Come home, baby.” Javí grinned. “I’m waiting for you.”

“Hungry?”

“You have no idea.” Javí quipped, not at all referring to food. 

“I saw a promising pizza place a block from here.” Eve offered, playfully ignoring his innuendo. “I’m starving and I haven’t had pizza since I got here.”

“The only decent pizza place in Bogotá is Santiago’s.” Javí chuckled at her cuteness. 

“That’s the one!” Eve beamed into the cell phone. “I’ll grab us a pie and catch a cab from there. I’ll be at your place before you know it.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Javí hummed, loving how the sound of her voice was quickly replacing all of the self doubting voices in his head that had been messing with him all evening. 

“Thank you, Javíer.” Eve whispered before she hung up.

“For what?”

“For...everything, I guess.” Eve blushed and tried not to confess how lonely she had been before their afternoon together. He made it so easy for her to spill her heart out; even on the phone.

“Come home.” Javí repeated. “I can’t wait to peel that dress off of you.” 

Eve couldn’t hide the smile that Javíer had put on her face when Daniel came back from the restroom. The two of them said their goodbyes and made vague plans to go out for lunch someday.

“You’re a terrible liar, Evelyn Capshaw.” Daniel laughed at her as she collected her things.

“You’re not wrong.” Eve giggled. “But why do you say that?”

“You said you’ve never been in love, but I know all about that look in your eye.” Daniel grinned. “It’s like you're floating.”

Eve laughed off his suspicions and paid for the bill before she left the restaurant. There was no way that she was going to stick Van Ness with the cheque after he’d been such a good sport about all of this.

Javíer, on the other hand, quickly tidied up his apartment for Eve’s arrival. Which didn’t take long, considering how bare and unused his place had been since he moved in. But as he finished cleaning his kitchen, it dawned on him where Eve had been calling him from, and more importantly, how dangerous that part of the city had been known to be. Especially for a young pretty white woman walking alone in fancy clothes.

The realization that Eve could be at risk hit him so suddenly that he dropped the plate he had been putting away; but he hardly heard it shatter on his kitchen floor.

“Shit!” Javíer cursed out loud. Not just cursing his broken dish, but the uncertainty of Eve’s safety. 

Surely she would take a taxi from the restaurant to Santiago’s... _wouldn’t she?_ Javíer had been so focused on flirting with her, that he hadn’t quite caught it when she informed him that she was going to call a cab from the pizza place. - not the restaurant - which was a block and a half away.

Before he had time to calculate the odds of her being okay, Javí was rushing out the door with his leather jacket and keys in his hand. Why didn’t he just offer to pick her up from the restaurant? She had no idea how dangerous the streets of Columbia could be; especially at night. 

By god, if anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

\--------------------

Eve was lost in thought as she strolled down the street in the direction of Santiago’s Pizzeria. The night was warm and Eve felt hopeful for the first time in years. And try as she might to ignore it, she knew that hope was because of Javíer. He was sure to break down her defences eventually and learn everything about her and why she had come to Columbia. Eve was trying to decide if she would ever be okay with him knowing everything about her past - when she felt a foreign hand suddenly come out from nowhere and grab the back of her neck.

Before she could yell for help, another hand covered half her face and silenced her screams. Everything was moving so fast. She couldn’t even process what was happening and tripped over her own feet. Her assailant was so strong that he managed to drag her into a nearby alley by the back of her neck as if she weighed nothing at all. 

The way he manhandled her sent pain searing through her veins. But Eve fought back and scratched at the dirty hand covering her mouth and kicked at anything she could. But it was no use. The man uttered a menacing warning in Spanish in her ear, but Eve had no idea what he was saying. But by god - she was not going to give up and fought with all her might. His sour breath made her want to gag, but she could see a fucking thing in the dark alley. _This can't be happening._

The grip that he had on the back of her neck made it impossible for her to move when he pressed her face against a brick wall and lifted up the back of her dress. Making it known that he wasn’t solely interested in the contents of her purse. 

“Fuck you!” Eve screamed the second her mouth was free. Fear and panic spreading throughout her body like a wildfire. “Stop! Get your fucking hands off me, you motherfucker!”

The faceless man yelled something at her in Spanish before he slammed her head against the wall. Eve saw stars, but continued to scream until she received a sharp punch to her kidneys that took all of the air from her lungs. 

The solid grip on her neck intensified when she heard the tell tale sound of a belt being unbuckled. Eve had never felt so furious and helpless before. _This can’t be happening._ She kept repeating in her head over and over again.

Before he could rape her, he ruthlessly hit her side again and again while she screamed her heart out. 

Almost as quickly as she had been grabbed, the attack was suddenly over. Eve, whose voice was hoarse from screaming, finally turned around and sank to the ground and watched as another man wrestled her attacker to the ground in front of her. 

It was dark in the alley and it was hard for Eve to understand what was happening. She was in shock and felt as though she were watching a movie underwater. But as her eyes began to adjust to the dark, she realized that it was Javíer who had saved her.

Her attacker didn’t stand a chance against Javíer and all of his police training. In no time, Javíer had the upper hand and started to punch her attacker in the face over and over again. It was gratuitous how Javíer continued to beat him. The sound of each sickening thud ringing in her ears until her attacker's face became unrecognizable as human. 

Eve covered her ears to hide from the sound. But all that ended up happening was Eve hearing her mother’s voice in her head screaming at her to _act like a Capshaw and get her act together._

Eve set her jaw and gritted her teeth, as Javí continued to unleash his rage on the man. Eve refused to be a victim and, quite literally, gave her head a quick shake and tried to unemotionally survey the new situation that she found herself in. 

Javíer was going to kill that man if she didn’t stop him. But did she even want Javi to stop? Afterall, she would have killed him five minutes ago if she had been given half the chance.

 _Yes, stop him before it’s too late_...she heard her brother’s voice in her head convincing her to do the right thing. Ben had always acted as her conscience for as long as she could remember, and he would have wanted her to do something. If not to save her would-be rapist - but to save Javíer from doing something that he couldn’t take back.

“Stop! Javí stop! You have to stop.” Eve pleaded with him with a voice that didn’t sound like hers. “You’re gunna kill him.” As fragile and raw as she felt, Eve needed to protect Javí. She scrambled to stand on her shaky legs and tried to get him to focus on her and not his blind bloodthirsty rage. 

_“Le loshijo de puta.”_ Javí growled at the man through his teeth as he held up his near lifeless body from the collar of his shirt. Javí wanted to punish the bastard, but Eve was right, he knew he needed to take a step back. 

Javíer hit him one last time before he wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to think straight. Once he parked at the restaurant and retraced Eve’s footsteps, finding her so quickly felt like divine intervention. He heard her scream, and just acted without thinking. A dark part of him wished that he had thought to bring his weapon with him to finish the asshole off.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“I...I think I’m okay.” Eve tried to attest but her voice was trembling and she couldn’t process what she was feeling. “He didn’t have time to…”

“You’re bleeding.” Javíer dropped the man to the ground and took his coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders. He swallowed down every single one of his fears for Eve and went into police mode. He took her hand and placed it to her temple to stop the bleeding. “You’re also in shock, hermosa. Sit.” 

It broke his heart to see Eve flinch and pull away when he touched her. It was almost as if this was Helena all over again. Only this time Javí was actually able to save his love from the unspeakable.

“Shhh, Eve.” Javí soothed. He longed to touch her, but knew his touch could make things worse for her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I know...I…” Eve couldn’t formulate words, but Javí understood her trauma and didn’t expect her to be thinking clearly. The fact that his leather jacket smelled like him helped calm her and gave her back a familiar feeling of safety.

Eve didn’t remember Javí leading her away from her attacker's unconscious body and out into the street. As her eyes adjusted to the street lamp’s glow, she was grateful that Javíer was taking control of the situation. That was until he called in the local authorities from his cell phone. 

“I can’t give my name.” Eve blurted out as soon as he stuffed his phone back into the pocket of the jacket she was still wearing.

“What?” Javíer questioned. After everything that she had just been through, this is what had her panicked?

“Word of this can’t head back to the states.” Eve explained as a single tear finally fell down her cheek before she sniffed and hastily wiped it away with the back of her hand. She was trying her best to keep her cool and Javí was very impressed with her efforts. “My name can’t be used in any official police reports.”

“I’ll take care of everything.” Javí nodded. He had a lot of follow up questions for her. But cutting corners wasn’t new to him and he had connections that could easily make all of this go away. 

Everything after that was a fog. Javí took care of the local authorities and after a quick once over by the paramedics, he drove her back to their embassy apartment complex in silence. He even carried her purse for her down their hallway and took the liberty of fishing out her house keys and opening her door for her.

“This wasn’t exactly how our night was supposed to play out, was it?” Eve puffed out a sad laugh as she stood in her doorway and looked into her empty apartment; feeling as though she had aged ten years in a few hours. 

“We have all the time in the world for that, hermosa.” Javí answered as he tried to gauge whether or not she was truly okay. Sometimes Eve’s far away expressions were impossible for him to read. He wanted nothing more than to truly understand her. “Did you want me to call someone for you? I could spend the night...I just don’t feel right about leaving you like this.”

“Sleepovers are for boyfriends.” Eve tried to joke her way through the hard lump in her throat. 

“Hm.” Javí bitterly huffed behind her. Annoyed and hurt that she was back on that bullshit again. 

“You should put some ice on that.” Eve changed the subject as she turned and gently took Javí’s hand as if she were in a trace. She had overheard the paramedic tell him that nothing appeared to be broken, but nonetheless, beating her attacker had left his knuckles bruised and bloody. 

“Just my luck. I’m fresh out.” Javí charmingly smiled in an attempt to reassure her that he would be fine. The cut that Eve had sustained to her head had stopped bleeding and was mostly covered by her hairline, but he still brushed her hair off to the side to get a better look at it before he said goodnight. “Get some sleep, Eve.”

It had to be a total of five steps to his apartment, but it might as well have been miles. Javíer had no idea that next door could feel so far away.

It felt wrong to go back to his apartment without her. But Javí poured himself a very generous glass of whiskey and sipped it by his window. How had things gotten so fucked up so quickly? More importantly, why was he even in Columbia in the first place. He had been spinning his wheels at work for weeks now waiting for this Cali surrender deal to go through. Eve had been the only silver lining in his life, and he couldn’t help but feel as though she was slipping through his fingers. 

A few moments went by before he heard a knock at his door that pulled him out of his dark thoughts.

If Javíer had felt battered and bruised, that was nothing compared to the raw vulnerability he found in Eve’s eyes as she stood on his doorstep, still wearing his leather jacket that engulfed her small frame. The joy that he usually found in her big blue eyes had been replaced with fear and pain; practically pleading with him to protect her and love away the events of the evening. It was as if she were broken and Javíer would sell his soul to put her back together.

“Here.” she simply stated as she took his hand and gently placed a homemade ice pack on his knuckles. Making him hiss at the cooling sensation. “I...I have more if you need it…”

“Can I hold you?” Javí suddenly asked with a primal need in his voice. Ever since she flinched in that alley, Javí had been careful to give her the space that she needed after being attacked so violently. But he needed to hold her and know that she was okay. If not to comfort her, but to find comfort himself. 

“Yes, please.” Eve whined, her voice breaking and the damn of tears that she had been trying to hold in finally breaking free. 

Javí blinked away his own tears and wrapped his arms around her and sighed at the warm feeling of her melting against his body. He buried his nose in her hair and let her cry freely into his chest. - finally the world began to make sense again.

“I got you, Eve.” Javí reassured her as they walked into his apartment, joined together as one. 

“Can I stay the night?” Eve asked between her hiccuped sobs.

“Of course, princesa.” Javí promised as he held her tighter and tried to stay strong for her.

Usually Javí would have avoided these kind of heavy emotional situations like that plague. More times than not, Javí had failed the women that have mattered to him the most. He had unsuccessfully tried to play the role of the white knight more times than he could count. 

But this time, he was so thankful that he had gotten there in time and that Eve had come back and sought comfort from him. He just hoped that he was up to the task. Because failing her at a time like this was something that Javíer knew he wouldn’t be able to come back from.


	8. Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after Eve’s mugging, her and Javíer wake up together.

Before Eve had opened her eyes that morning she let out a content sigh and smiled in her sleep like a little kid. It was cheesy, but she just couldn’t help it. Javíer had been protectively spooning her all night and waking cocooned by the warmth of his body was such a lovely feeling. For a few moments, Eve had completely forgotten about the events of the previous night. There was no fear, trauma, or loneliness in that early hour. All Eve felt was safe and protected. But more than that, Eve felt in her soul that she was exactly where she was supposed to be. She had been searching for that feeling for as long as she could remember and let out a small content sigh before she opened her eyes.

But it wasn’t until Eve fully woke, that she became aware of where she was and why she was in her boss’s apartment in the first place. Panic spiked through her veins and she tried her best to put her protective walls back up and push down the perfect feeling that she had been enjoying only moments earlier. Eve cursed herself for getting so carried away and attempted to reign in her feelings for Javí. 

In his sleep, Javíer must have sensed her dilemma and tightened his hold on her without waking from his slumber. That simple loving act had Eve wondering if she’d ever be able to convince herself that she wasn’t falling hard for the man softly snoring beside her. It was so much easier to accept her feelings for Javíer when she was still drowsy from sleep. As wonderful as Javí was, he wasn’t hers to have. Now that she cared about him, Eve felt guilty for leading him on. It didn’t matter how perfect he was, they could never happen. Javíer deserved someone better than her; _a lot_ better. She had no business being in his arms.

The best thing to do would be to nip these feelings in the bud before they both got hurt. Eve even considered possibly sneaking out of Javíer’s apartment before he woke up to try and keep this causal between them. Keeping him at arm's length was probably the best thing to do. Sure, it would be a little cruel. But it would save him more heartbreak in the future.

But as the bright morning sun shone into Javíer’s sparse bedroom, Eve clearly replayed in her mind everything that had happened the previous night and found herself reconsidering an early exit. It was selfish, but she wanted more of him.

Javíer groaned and draped his heavy leg over her and Eve smiled into her pillow. She would have never suspected that he was the cuddling type but she found it adorable. Her body was sore and weary from the attack and it was a painful reminder of what could have happened to her if Javíer hadn’t showed up when he had. No man (other than maybe her older brother Ben) had ever cared enough about her to drop everything on the slim chance that her safety might be in jeopardy. 

Her heart dropped in her chest when she remembered what it felt like to have her attacker suddenly grab her by the back of her neck and practically pluck her off the street. For a second it felt as though she could feel his hand on her neck right there in bed with them and her whole body flinched. 

But Eve’s dread slowly vanished when Javí instinctually held her tighter against him again as if he could read her mind in his sleep; proving, without words, that he _cared._

This wasn’t her plan. Javíer was just supposed to be a fun distraction. A warm body to enjoy while she was stuck in Columbia. But now - now he had snuck his way into her heart and became so much more to her. He made her feel seen and special; and not just because of her last name. 

Eve couldn’t believe that she had dropped her guard and let herself be vulnerable with him last night after he dropped her off at her apartment. Eve could count on one hand the people who have seen her cry. And now she could add Agent Javíer Peña to that very short list.

Eve managed to loosen herself from his embrace just enough for her to turn and watch him sleep. He had been so wonderful to her last night. Not just for saving her, but for the way he had cared for her afterwards. So many people in her past had let her down - but not Javí. He let her ugly cry her heart out without judgement and then fed her the leftover takeout that he had in his fridge. She smiled to herself as she remembered how he had watched every mouthful she took as if he were waiting for her to fall apart again.

Eve’s fidgeting had woken Javí, but he was unwilling to open his eyes, afraid that what he had with Eve would disappear in the cold light of day. While last night had been bad for everyone concerned, the good moments that he had spent with Eve were burned into his memory forever. 

Sure, it had been surprisingly painful to hold Eve while she sobbed against his chest. But Eve had impressed the hell out of Javí afterwards. He had been ready to comfort her for the rest of the evening. But much to Javíer ’s surprise, Eve really didn’t need a babysitter.

Instead, they both drank whiskey and fussed over each other’s injuries while they cuddled on his leather couch and got to know each other better. They talked about everything - well almost everything. Eve played her cards close to the vest and was careful not to share too much with him. But the more time they spent together the more they just seemed to click. 

Once she had eaten and calmed down, Javíer had begun to trust that Eve was far from broken and he admired her resilience. They even shared a laugh or two over the silly blind date she had. Javí found himself mesmerized by her smile and tried to memorize the sound of her laughter. 

Javíer had been in awe of Eve’s strength but, in the back of his mind, he had still wondered if that bastard in the alley had left her with emotional scars. She seemed fine, but Javí couldn't help but wonder how much she might be hiding from him. In so many ways Javíer found Eve simple; she was a joyful force of nature that effortlessly brought sunshine into his life. But in other ways, she was still a mystery that he was dying to solve.

But that night, Javí had tried to look on the bright side. The two of them just couldn’t stop touching each other. Whether it be playing with each other’s fingers as the other spoke, or Eve resting her head on his shoulder when she got tired. Javí couldn’t get over how having her in his apartment (even under those circumstances) made his place feel like a home. He hadn’t had that feeling since he left Lorraine at the altar and moved out of his father's ranch a lifetime ago. Finally having a home gave him such a strong sense of pride. He had no idea how much he’d love that feeling until Eve gave it to him. 

Javíer didn’t want the night to end. But when Eve started to yawn, he gave her the red flannel shirt he hadn’t worn since Danny’s wedding to sleep in. He couldn’t say no to her when she insisted that they share his bed. Javí didn’t want to assume anything or take advantage of her. But it took all of his self control to deny her when she began to leave soft kisses along his neck before she fell asleep. Implying that she wanted to take things further like they had originally planned before the night had taken a traumatic turn. 

He wanted her. A part of Javíer had wanted Eve ever since he had laid eyes on her in their hallway. That feeling had never gone away, even when she was just his secretary. But it didn’t feel right to have sex after everything that she had been through that night.

After he assured her that he wasn’t rejecting her, Eve agreed. Afterall, sex felt far less intimate then the moments that they had shared over the last few hours. They were connected in ways that either of them couldn’t fully understand yet.

They then took turns spooning each other all throughout the night. Each of them reaching out in their sleep for the other if they were separated for too long. In a lot of ways, it would have been a perfect night under different circumstances. 

“What are you looking at?” Javí teased, with his eyes still closed and his deep voice gravelly from sleep.

 _“You.”_ Eve grinned as she got more comfortable and propped her head up on her arm. “I had no idea you’d look so beautiful in the morning, Peña.”

“You must be concussed.” Javí teased as he turned on his side to snuggle into her and kiss the side of her neck to hide the goofy smile that spread across his face. It was great to laugh with her first thing in the morning since he half expected her to sneak out in the middle of the night. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did.” Eve assured him as she lazily traced the profile of his face with her fingers once he settled back onto his pillow. Smiling back at him when her exploration of his features made him grin in the shy and boyish way that she loved. Javí was never shy in the outside world - only with her and it filled her heart in such an intense way. “So many lines.”

“My scowl lines.” Javí teased as he playfully brought his eyebrows together; furrowing his brows for her.

“Your worry lines.” Eve corrected him as she traced a few of his deeper wrinkles. “You carry a heavy weight with you, don’t you Peña.” Eve softly stated, more to herself than to him before she placed a kiss on the spot between his eyes. 

“Occupational hazard.”

“Gosh, I never thought I’d find a nose so sexy before.” Eve slyly smiled as she ran her finger down the length of his nose. “I mean it. You are so beautiful, Javí. You make me wish I knew how to draw or so I could paint your portrait or sculpt you or something.”

“Now I really think I should take you to the hospital for some x rays.” Javí puffed out a laugh as he took her hand and kissed it. He loved it when Eve was sweet and open like this. It was as if the sun had started shining just for him. He'd never felt anything like it before.

“That bottom lip.” Eve hummed. “I just wanna bite it.” Eve leaned down and kissed his lips and nibbled on his lip until he smiled and let out a soft groan. “Who’s Helena?” Eve quietly asked as she absentmindedly played with his hair and tried to ignore how stiff her back muscles felt. She was scared to look in the mirror to see how badly she had been bruised when that asshole kept punching her side to keep her from yelling for help. 

“Why do you ask?” Javí enquired; his body tensing and his good mood plummeting. 

“It's okay.” Eve assured him while she continued to run her fingers through his hair. “You just called out her name last night. It’s not your fault. You were sleeping, and besides, it’s not like I’m the jealous type in the first place.”

“Called out?” Javí huffed. “I don’t _‘call out’_ in my sleep.”

“Well, it was more like a whimper.” Eve smiled mischievously as she leaned down and kissed the corner of his mouth and rubbed her nose against his. “But I thought _‘called out’_ sounded more manly.”

“So you’re worried about my manhood, now?” Javí snapped, causing her to quickly pull away from him. “Is this the way all mornings with you start?”

“Whoa, backup. Is this really what you wanna do?” Eve asked, her brows furrowing together while Javí continued to scowl up at her. It was as if they were suddenly in the middle of a stand off and Eve found herself surprisingly upset that Javíer was so cross with her over something so small. “Let me get this straight. You really want to start a fight so you don’t have to answer a simple question?”

“That’s not what I’m doing.” Javíer lied. 

“That’s exactly what you’re doing.” Eve called him out and ignored the cute way he conceded by tilting his head and quirking his eyebrow. “But it sucks to know you think I couldn’t see a deflection like that coming from a mile away. Mornings with you are a real blast, too by the way.” Eve made a move to get out of bed but quickly winced when her injuries kept her from moving as swiftly as she would have liked. She hated feeling so weak and helpless. “Nevermind, getting to know each other was probably a mistake, anyw-”

“Helena was my informant.” Javí interrupted while at the same time encouraging her to lay back down beside him and rest. “It was years ago.” Javí took a deep breath and sighed loudly but Eve settled back into the bed and gave him a moment or two to collect his thoughts.

Eve was right, he was being an ass. The truth was, Javíer wanted to know everything about her and it wasn’t fair that he wasn’t being very forthcoming himself. He just didn’t want to mess up and lose her. Eve always felt as though she was moments away from slipping through his fingers and knowing his past could be a surefire way of losing her for good. 

“You don’t have to tell me” Eve whispered when she could sense his hesitation. “...we don't have to be... _close,_ you know. We could just -“

“I want us to be close, Eve.” Javí tried to smile reassuringly, but he was terrified of her reaction if he confessed too much. “Last night...well, it brought up some old memories, I guess. I don’t remember dreaming about her, but I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“What kind of old memories?” Eve asked while she went back to playing with his hair and stroking it away from his face. His kind brown eyes were now full of sadness and she foolishly wanted to protect him from everything in the world...including the painful memories of his past. “She must have mattered a lot to you…”

“You don’t need that kind of shit in your head, Eve.” Javí whispered as he closed his eyes. He tried to focus on the feeling of her fingers in his hair to try and fight off the guilt building up in his chest. 

Helena had put herself at risk to get a visa and start a new life in the states with her child. But more importantly, her and Javí had been sleeping together for a while before she put herself on the line in Medellin. Everything went south and Helena ended up being savagely assaulted by who knows how many cartel members before he found her. 

Javí tried to remind himself that Helena knew the risks and at the very least he and Carrillo had managed to get to her before Escobar's men killed her...but he still felt responsible for what she had gone through. Helena had trusted him to keep her safe. But, in the end, he had failed her. 

_If he hadn’t gotten to Eve in time last night…-_ The very thought felt like Javíer’s heart was being ripped from his chest.

Javí needed to feel Eve’s touch. But he feared she’d close herself off from him and he’d lose such a wonderful feeling. It was as if Eve’s touch were a lifeline that he was desperate to hold on to - without it, Javí feared that he would fall into the abyss. He was so tired of being alone and carrying the weight of his past by himself. Javíer didn’t want to admit it to himself, but Eve was starting to give him hope for a future and a fresh start.

“Tell me.” Eve insisted after she pressed a delicate kiss to his forehead. Eve hoped that she could replicate the way that Javí had kissed her in the hallway the night before. He had been able to prove to her with a single kiss how much she meant to him and Eve really wanted to do the same for him. “I want to know, Javíer. Even if it’s dark and messy. I think...don’t laugh. But I think I want to really know _you._ All of you.”

“Why would I laugh at that?” Javí whispered in a serious tone that made Eve smile.

“Going from _‘you’re not my boyfriend’_ one minute. To _‘I really want to know you.’_ the next. It’s funny in a sad kinda way.” Eve shrugged and winced at the same time. 

“I tried...I was going out of my mind trying to find her. We scoured the city but I couldn’t get to her in time.” Javí confessed, refusing to elaborate any further than that. He didn’t know how to explain Helena to her without admitting to more than he was willing to share. Namely how he had met Helena and the nature of her work. Javíer hated that he was being a coward. But Eve didn’t belong in that world and the need to protect her came from the most honest part of his heart. He was never ashamed of his past relationships with prostitutes, but he was afraid that Eve might never look at him the same way again. 

Javí watched as Eve’s beautiful blue eyes widened while she filled in the blanks and understood what he was trying to tell her without actually saying the words out loud.

“I’m so sorry, Javí.” Eve apologized with her bottom lip trembling. Empathizing with what he and Helena had gone through. Eve hadn’t meant for any of this to happen and felt responsible for dragging up his past traumas. “Walking alone was such a stupid-”

“Shh.” Javí cut her off with a quick kiss. “Nothing about last night was your fault, Eve.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Eve tried to pull herself together and swallowed down the hard lump in her throat. It was too easy to open her heart to Javí, she needed to pull back before she got in too deep but she just couldn’t stop herself. “I’ve heard things...you know. At work.” Eve started but stopped herself and shook her head. “It’s stupid.”

“What? Tell me.”

“You know how those suits are.” Eve huffed at the thought of all the office gossip that she had to endure during her first weeks at the embassy. “Everything that isn’t a white picket fence and their coffee order is exciting to them.”

Eve was cracking jokes, as usual, but there was something serious behind her eyes that Javíer was drawn to like a moth to a flame. Javíer wanted more of her deeper side. There was so much more to her then she showed the rest of the world, and Javí couldn’t help but selfishly want all of it for himself. 

“Well,” Eve continued in a small voice. “There was a lot of talk about Columbian hookers and...and, well, _Los Pepes.”_

“I see.” Javí sighed as he ran his hand down his face and wished that he had a smoke somewhere handy. He should have known that his reputation would precede him. He didn’t know if it was better or worse that Eve already knew about him.

“You don’t owe me any kind of explanation, Javíer.” Eve insisted when she could tell that she had hit a nerve. “It could all be true, or it could all be bullshit. But either way, I’m still exactly where I want to be.” Eve guestered to him and his bed. 

“Things were different...I was...I was different.” Javíer started to explain but he couldn’t seem to form the right words. “I don’t know how much of this I should be telling you.”

“I had a friend in highschool. Her name was Angela.” Eve began after the silence between them became unbearable. “Her family cut her off and she had to come up with her tuition herself.”

“A highschool tuition?”

“That's a whole other story.” Eve laughed with a playful groan. “But she met someone at a fancy hotel bar in the city and before she knew it she was making more money in two months than her father made in a year. She knew how much I wanted to get away from my family back then and asked me if I wanted in on the action.”

“Sex work?” Javí asked and sighed when Eve nodded her head.

“You wouldn’t believe how much money she made as a young pretty 18 year old debutant.” Eve explained. “She was with an upscale escort agency that kept her pretty safe and her clientele was all rich businessmen and politicians. Old, but harmless.”

“Did you take her up on her offer?” 

“No.” Eve couldn’t sense any judgement in his question and admired his open mind. “I was messed up in a million different ways back then. But I wasn’t that desperate; not for money anyway. I offered her my help, though. But Angela swore that she was happy doing what she was doing. It was just a job and all of the men that she saw had their reasons for paying her. In fact, some of them just wanted someone to talk to. I only bring Angela up because...well, I guess putting a face on things changed the way I saw prostiution. I never thought any less of her and we still talk from time to time. She was just doing what she had to do. It didn’t make her any less human, you know?”

“I’ve never thought any less of them either.”

“I believe you.” Eve whispered as she left a kiss on his cheek. In the short time that they had known each other, Javíer had been so tender with her. If the rumours were true, then he must have been that way with them, as well. It had her wondering why he was there with her, when he could be with any one of them - minus the baggage that she carried with her everyday.

“I couldn’t get involved with anyone back then.” Javí found himself confessing. “I told myself that it was too dangerous. But the truth was, I had no business being anyone’s boyfriend or husband.” Javí closed his eyes as he started to confide in her more. Eve made it so easy, he couldn’t help himself. “Murphy and I were obsessed with Escobar. There was no room for anything else. I saw the strain that our work put on his marriage. But I was lonely. Hell, I’ve been lonely for as long as I can remember. Once my mom died...Well,” Javíer puffed out a small laugh. “That's a whole other story.”

“It’s okay, baby.” Eve sweetly smiled as she caressed his cheek. “You don’t have to explain. Loneliness is something that I’m very familiar with.”

“I don’t want you to be lonely…”

Eve felt his words go straight to her heart and she found herself unable to speak. When Javíer opened himself up and bared his soul to her, time seemed to stop for her.

“I don’t want you to be lonely either…” Eve whispered with a trace of awe in her voice.

“Hookers made great informants, though. They still do.” Javíer insisted as he tried to change the subject. Somehow talking about prostitutes seemed like a lighter subject then discussing their shared loneliness. “If you just treat them like human beings and give a shit about their safety - some of them were the bravest women I’ve ever met.”

“That’s really smart.” Eve nodded as she cleared her throat and tried to play it cool. “For as careful as the cartels are, they still bring women in on a regular basis. Those women could probably get into places that the DEA could only dream of.”

“But, I would... _indulge_.” Javíer confessed as he clenched his jaw. “The hookers I met...the women I met.” He corrected himself. “They were someone for me to talk to and share a night with. They didn’t want any more from me than I was willing to give. It worked for a time, but it stopped satisfying me. I think I wanted more...I think I’ve always wanted more. But, Los Pepes...well, that’s a longer story.” Javí gritted his teeth, not wanting to actually admit to his involvement. “Fuck, Eve. I've made so many mistakes. I really don’t deserve you. If you want to leave, I won't hold it against you.”

“Shhh.” Eve cooed, Javí was such a good man that it made her chest ache. “I read the Miami Herald article and the old case files. I get the jist of it. But you weren’t fired...you were promoted. That’s gotta be one hellva head fuck.”

“You have no idea.” Javí bitterly groaned at the injustice of it. It’s not as though he wanted to go to jail, but to be honored for his mistakes would forever be a hard pill for him to swallow.

“Coffee?”

Javíer was caught off guard by the sudden chipperness in her voice as he nodded his head and watched her gingerly get out of bed. As much as he loved Eve’s smile, her sad eyes gave away her true feelings and he could tell that she was pulling away from him again. _Fuck._

Javí rolled over on his back and stared up at the ceiling as he listened to Eve putter around his kitchen. He’d just begun to open up to her but had only scratched the surface. She was so easy to talk to, who knows what he would have told her if she hadn’t bounced out of bed. Probably to avoid getting too close to him. 

Usually Eve felt like an open book; so lively and full of joyful energy. But Javí was learning that underneath the surface, Eve was so much more and Javíer was driven by his need to understand her. He loved puzzles, and Eve was the most challenging mystery he’d ever faced.

Javí rubbed his face and couldn’t believe that he had said the words out loud and confessed to his perpetual loneliness. But something told him that Eve was slowly changing all of that for him - if he could just get her to stop running away from him. Funny how the shoe was suddenly on the other foot. Javíer couldn’t remember the last woman that he had ever chased. But Eve had a way about her that turned everything on its head.


	9. Helpless NSFW

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javier tries his best to make Eve feel safe again. Takes place before S3E3 “Follow the Money”

After the night and morning that he spent with Eve, Javí attempted to bury himself in work to try and stop thinking about her. That strategy had always worked for him before, but this time he wasn’t as successful. It didn’t help that for the first time in his professional life, Javíer wasn’t even sure if he should be going after the bad guys in the first place.

The Rodriguez brothers were technically still up for grabs, but Javí wasn’t sure if he wanted to risk his job going after them. He couldn’t really fault the Columbian politicians that didn’t want another bloody war in their streets. But Javí just couldn’t walk away, he wasn’t built that way. He just hoped that he could find a way to take the godfathers down without it turning into another bloodbath.

Eve claimed to be fine when she left his apartment that morning, but that didn’t stop his mind from traveling to her for hours afterwards. He had shared so much with her, but still didn’t know that much about her past. He resisted the urge to snoop and investigate. He had connections in Washington that he could easily phone for information on her and her family. But he respected her too much to go behind her back. Besides, something told him that it would be more meaningful for her to open up to him in her own time.

But it didn’t help that he could hear her all morning puttering around in her apartment, listening to music and playing the odd sad tune on her piano. Javí found himself longing to have her back in his apartment. That homey feeling that he had enjoyed earlier, left when she did.

Javíer was getting carried away and hated that his feelings for Eve were probably misplaced. What right did he have hoping that he could have something normal with a woman like her. With anyone for that matter. In a moment of weakness, Javí left his apartment to buy a pack of cigarettes. He was tired of warring with himself and caved into at least one of his cravings. He lied to himself and promised that he’d find a better time to quit smoking - not when he was pining for a woman like a love struck teenager.

When he got back to his apartment, Javí heard his phone ringing and rushed to answer it. He foolishly hoped it was Eve. But it wasn’t as though she had ever called him on the telephone before. If anything, she’d knock on their adjoining wall to speak to him like the adorable person that she was.

But Javíer was horrified to hear the contact he had at the local police station inform him that the man who had attacked Eve on the street had been discharged from the hospital and wouldn’t be facing any charges. Apparently her attacker was a mid level scario working for the Cali cartel inside of Bogotá. There was nothing that Javí’s source could do; corruption within the police force was pretty much commonplace in Columbia and the asshole was already long gone.

Javí slammed the phone down and nearly threw the whole thing across his living room. He didn’t know how he was going to break the news to Eve. The injustice of the situation was infuriating. He would do anything to spare that woman any more pain. He considered not telling her, and letting her believe that justice had been served. But in the end, Javí found himself knocking on her apartment door moments later. If he wanted something real with her, he couldn’t start by lying and keeping things from her.

“Hey, neighbour!” Eve beamed as she swung open her door and found Javí standing there looking just as delicious as she had left him that morning. “I was just thinking about you.” She purred as she kissed the corner of his mouth as if she had been greeting him with a kiss for ages.

But Eve frowned when Javí’s serious face refused to warm towards her. This thing between them felt so fragile. Maybe she shouldn’t act so familiar with him, Eve reconsidered.

“Can I come in?” Javí formally asked with his hands on his hips.

A ghost of a smile pulled on his lips when he realized that Eve was still wearing his red plaid flannel shirt that he had lent her to sleep in that night. But now the sleeves had been rolled up and it was being worn unbuttoned over a plain white tank top, paired with a pair of heavily distressed jeans. She was makeup free with her hair loose and wavy. Javí couldn’t help but think that he was possibly getting a glimpse at the real her. She looked so relaxed and at peace. Not to mention, happy to see him. Javí hated that he was about to take that feeling away from her after all that she had been through.

“Of course, Javí.” Eve sweetly smiled as she opened the door wider to let him inside. “I guess you’ve never been in here before, huh? Did you want some coffee?”

“Sure.” Javí nodded as he looked around as she went to prepare a fresh pot. Eve’s apartment mirrored his own. An open concept with the living room and kitchen separated by a long kitchen island. Her furniture was a lot nicer than his and the whole apartment had a woman’s touch that his place had always sorely lacked. It also smelled amazing with a scented candle burning on her coffee table that made the whole place smell like freshly baked cookies.

His eyes landed on a watercolour painting hanging above her couch. It was a painting of a ballerina’s feet standing on her toes. One foot was wearing the traditional silk ballerina slipper in pristine condition, and the other foot was wearing an old beat up red converse sneaker. It was beautifully painted and he couldn’t help but smile as he admired it now that he knew Eve a little bit better. She definitely had more than one side to her, Javí mused to himself.

“My older brother, Ben.” Eve explained from the kitchen with a sense of pride in her voice when he caught him looking at it from the corner of her eye. “He made that for me when I was 14. I’ve brought it with me everywhere. Other than my mugshot, it’s the only thing I really care about.”

“Your mugshot?” Javí whipped his head around to clarify what she had just said. This was news to him.

“Protesting for gay rights when I was in my early twenties.” Eve simply stated as if everyone had a similar story. “My parents made the disorderly charge go away, of course.” She added with an eye roll as she poured the hot water into her french press. “But I saved my mugshot. It’s framed in my bedroom. My younger brother got arrested for being drunk and disorderly when he was in college. Luke went swimming in a fountain singing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of his lungs.” Eve giggled to herself. “I saved his mugshot, too, just to mess with him and remind him that it actually happened and he’s not as perfect as he pretends to be.”

“That’s a sibling’s job, I guess.”

“It’s my favourite picture of him, actually.” Eve confessed with a chuckle.

“He’s a really talented painter.” Javí praised with a sly crooked smile. He couldn’t help but be a little proud of her and her “criminal” past and how disgusted she was with her parents cleaning up after her and her brother. “Ben, is it?”

“He _was._ Ben was a very talented fighter pilot slash painter. He died when I was 16.” Eve confessed in a small voice, without looking at him.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

“Ben knew me better than anyone.” Eve claimed with confidence as she walked over and handed Javí a coffee mug. She tried not to smirk too much when Javí noticed he was about to drink out of one of her many silly cartoon mugs. “Everyone has that one person, right? That one person that just _gets you._ ”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Javí answered before he took a sip. Maybe that one person for Javí had been Murphy. But even then, Javí wasn’t convinced that his old partner was _that one_ person that Eve spoke of. He'd always believed _that one person_ was never in the cards for him. But thanks to work, Eve knew exactly how he liked his coffee and Javí couldn’t help but hum when the warm liquid hit his tongue. Her coffee was ten times better than the crap they served at the office. “Look, there’s something that you need to know.”

“Uh oh.” Eve playfully teased as she took a seat on her couch and curled her legs underneath her.

Javí took another sip of his coffee before he joined her and placed his mug on the coffee table in front of them.

“I got a call from the police station…”

“Shit.” Eve interrupted him with panic threatening to take over her voice. “I can’t get involved, Javí. I know I should’ve pressed charges last night, but…”

“It won’t get that far, princesa.” Javí shook his head as he reached over and squeezed her knee to comfort her. “Turns out the scumbag was a low level scario. The Cali Cartel had him out of the hospital and out of Bogotá before we even woke up this morning.”

“Really?” Eve gulped as she let the news sink in. “So he’s just…just, _out there?”_

Javí firmly set his jaw as he watched Eve accept the truth. There was nothing that he could do and he regretted not killing the bastard when he had the chance. The fear in her beautiful blue eyes was too much for him to stand.

“My sources say that he’s not in the city.” Javí tried to reassure her. “You’re safe here in the embassy.”

“But what about the next woman that he meets on the street?” Eve blurted out with anger in her voice. “I should’ve let you kill the son of a bitch _\- fuck!_ I didn’t mean that.” She quickly reconsidered as soon as the words left her lips and she felt Javí’s grip tighten on her leg. “I really didn’t mean that. I’m so sorry. None of this is your fault, Javí. You did everything right. I’m just not used to being so freaked out, you know.”

“It’s okay. There’s no reason to believe that he knows who you are.” Javí explained as he leaned back against the couch cushions and let out a deep sigh as he smoothed out his moustache. “You were just a pretty white woman walking alone. He never got your purse or your ID. He can’t find you even if he came back.”

“I guess the Cali Cartel is used to getting away with everything, aren’t they?” Eve huffed. “Why should one of their hitmen be any different?” She was just as displeased with the surrender deal as Javíer was. Her attacker getting away just added insult to injury as far they were both concerned.

“I wish there was more that I could do….” Javí shook his head, speaking more to himself than to Eve.

“You’ve already done more than enough, Javí. I mean it.” Eve couldn’t help but smile sweetly at him. He was such a good man. Far better than what she deserved. “I just hate feeling helpless. I hate it more than anything.” Eve sighed as she took another sip of coffee and curled up against him. He wrapped his arm around her and when she rested her head on his chest she smelled the tell tale whiff of cigarette smoke mixed in with his usual alluring Javí scent. “You started smoking again. Did you run out of gum?”

“No, my secretary keeps me well stocked.” Javí puffed out a small laugh as he started to play with her hair. Eve smelled so good; like a mixture of vanilla and coconuts and a floral scent that was hard for him to identify. What he wouldn’t give for more moments like this. Peace felt just a shadow away when he was with Eve. Before Javíer met her, true happiness had never felt as attainable before.

They sat there together for a few peaceful moments until the news came on with an emergency bulletin informing them that a serious accident had happened in a town just north of Cali.

Javí’s whole demeanor changed as he listened to the news report. Eve could feel his body tense as the news broadcast captured is complete attention. The peaceful relaxed look on his face that she had been enjoying, quickly vanished and was replaced with a familiar look of stress and worry.

Eve had no idea what was happening. But Javíer’s brows furrowed and he became more and more troubled the longer he listened to the news anchor explain that, even though details were still coming in, there had been some kind of public poisoning affecting the population, with many women and children currently in the hospital.

“That are they saying?” Eve asked when Javí stopped cuddling with her and leaned forward, with his jaw tightening. He was suddenly in work mode and Eve knew that something serious must have happened.

“I dunno, something about some kind of gas poisoning, they think.” Javí explained without taking his eyes off the screen. “They’re not sure yet where it came from. Those poor kids were just sleeping. They think it might have came through the sewer system.”

“Jesus. How does something like that happen?” Eve asked as reporters aired some footage from the scene. So many people were sick and the kids that they were being carrying into ambulances looked so small in the adult sized stretchers. “Wait…no.”

“What?”

“It can’t be.” Eve murmured to herself as she leaned forward and matched Javí’s serious stance as she leaned forward on the couch, as well. “I’m just seeing monsters around every corner now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Cali.” Eve shrugged. “They have so many shell companies in that area, don’t they? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was them. Some of the chemicals that they pretend to sell can be pretty nasty. But, of course, there’s no proof that this was them. And even if there was, I’m sure it’ll be covered up so they can still get their precious fucking surrender deal. I told you that I hated feeling helpless, it’s making me paranoid.”

“It could be them.” Javí considered. “You’re a pretty quick study. I didn’t even catch the neighbourhood it happened in.”

“Just add this to the list of atrocities that they’ll get away with.” Eve groaned. “Gotta keep that shiny venture of respectability, right?”

“Come on, Capshaw. Grab your things. I’m taking you somewhere.” Javí hated that she might be right. But maybe, just maybe, if Cali was behind this, then the politicians in charge might get a wakeup call and throw the Cali surrender deal in the trash, where it belonged.

——————-

“You said you hated feeling helpless.” Javí stated matter of factly as he opened the door to the big empty gun range and flipped on all of the lights. “This might help.”

“So, would this be considered our first date?” Eve asked with a laugh as Javí outfitted her with a big yellow pair of noise cancelling headphones. Eve wasn’t sure what she was expecting when Javí told her that he was taking her somewhere. But the embassy gun range wasn’t exactly the romantic location that she had in mind.

“I told you that I wasn’t good at being the boyfriend type.” Javí quipped back with a carefree laugh. Eve was starting to love that sound more than anything and couldn’t help but smirk back at him. “Now remember your stance, okay. Stand like this.” Javí demonstrated for her. “And just breathe and relax your shoulder.”

“What do I get if I hit the target?” Eve sassed as she took his handgun in her hand and got a feel for the weight of it. Eve had always hated guns. But after the events of the previous night, she was willing to do just about anything to take her mind off what had happened and possibly gain back a feeling of security.

“What do you want, princesa?” Javí hummed in amusement. “Name the terms.”

“Dinner.” Eve answered with a playfully raised eyebrow that made Javí bite his lip and smile as she turned around and raised the gun towards her target. “I hit the target and you take me to your favourite place in the city.”

“What if I want to take you there regardless?” Javí disclosed with his rich deep voice dripping with a dark playfulness. He stepped behind her and let his lips brush up against the side of her neck to mess with her. He loved that she let out a small content hum. She was always so responsive to him, it was just too easy.

“You have no faith in me.” Eve giggled as she tried to brush off how weak in the knees he had just made her. “How hard can this be, anyway?”

Javí was entertained with her spunk and repeated all of the advice that he had already given her. Snickering to himself when she forgot to take the safety off before she took her first shot.

“Laugh it up, Peña.” Eve sang out in a silly voice. “You’re not gunna be laughing when you gotta wine and dine me.”

“You act like it’s a punishment, princesa.” Javí smirked. “A woman like you, deserves all of the finer things in life.”

“Ha! Truth is, gimme a half decent burger and fries, maybe throw in a milkshake, and I’ll be on cloud nine.” Eve touted.

“Duly noted.” Javí nodded. “More my speed anyway.”

Javíer showed Eve how to take the safety off and stood back and corrected her stance a little bit. But it was impossible not to grin when she emptied her clip without a single bullet hitting the target.

“Well, I guess I suck.” Eve pouted as she handed him back his weapon. “I knew there was a reason that I hated guns.”

“You’ll get better.” Javí insisted while he reloaded his gun. “You just need some practice. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

Eve licked her lips while she watched Javí expertly handle himself as he took his turn in front of her; effortlessly hitting the center of her target multiple times. A few bullets even hit what was meant to be the target’s head. Eve was very impressed, and a little turned on if she was being honest with herself. Eve licked her lips as she made a mental note of the serious look on Javíer’s face as he shot his weapon; it was dark, dangerous and sexy as hell.

Javí set his gun down on the counter and caught the look in her eyes as she gazed up at him through her eyelashes. Their eyes met and suddenly it felt as though all of the air in the room changed. Within seconds Javí found himself pulling her against him and crushing his lips against hers. It was as if he had no control over the matter; the pull between them was just that strong, he didn’t even hesitate.

Eve followed his lead and groaned into his mouth while she kissed him back. His skillful lips were soft and knew exactly how to make her wet. Her hands found their way into his hair while he squeezed her ass and softly licked at her bottom lip until she granted him access to her mouth.

 _“Fuck.”_ They both sighed in unison as they pressed their foreheads together and tried to catch their breath. Pushing their big bulking headphones off and letting them both fall to the floor. They were both trying in their own ways not to get too attached to each other, and they were both failing miserably.

There wasn’t anyone else at the gun range that Sunday and they both were trying to gauge whether or not they could indulge in their need for each other without getting caught. The way that they could practically read each other’s minds in that moment made them both realize just how perfect they were for each other.

Eve just couldn’t stop touching him. Her hands ran up his chest while Javí watched her closely, his brown eyes hooded with lust. She wanted him and Javíer didn’t know if he had the willpower to deny her for a second time. She was just too perfect.

Without words, Javí turned her around and Eve placed her hands on the small counter in front of her while Javí popped the button on her jeans and yanked them down just far enough down her legs to gain access to her.

“Fuck, princesa.” Javí groaned against her ear while he frantically unbuckled his belt and pushed his jeans off his hips. “Have I told you how sexy you look wearing my clothes?”

“Duly noted.” Eve giggled as her heart raced. All she could see, taste, and smell was Javíer. He invaded all of her senses as she surrendered to him and snaked her arm around to the back of his neck to pull him closer to her while he pawed at her breasts over her white tank top. “It’s my life’s goal to keep you as naked as possible.”

“You’re doing a fantastic job, baby.” Javí wickedly chuckled as he took his hard cock in his hand and slowly guided himself inside her warm aching cunt. _“Fuck._ You. Feel. Amazing.”

“Right back at cha.” Eve praised with a pleased hum in her voice.

Eve felt every delicious inch of him stretch and fill her and could help but let out a guttural moan from the back of her throat once he was fully inside her. The sound of her pleasure spurred Javí on and he began a punishing pace that had Eve releasing the hold she had on his neck in favour of bracing herself against the counter in front of her.

“Yes. Harder, baby. Make me feel you.” Eve begged as Javí’s strong hands gripped her hips to keep her in place. Javí was hitting her sweet spot with every single sharp slap of his hips. She could feel her release building and began to lose herself in the moment. It was raw and hedonistic and she loved every single second of it. This was exactly what she needed.

“You like this?” Javíer growled through his teeth. “You’re so fucking wet, baby. You like it when I fuck you like this?”

“Yes.” Eve began to chant completely unrestrained. She didn’t care if anyone were to walk in on them. All that mattered was the pleasure that Javí was building up inside her. As far as she was concerned, they were the only two people on the planet.

“I want you to come on my cock.” Javí’s rich voice demanded against the shell of her ear before his lips traveled to the side of her neck. Kissing, licking, and sucking on any flesh he could get his mouth on. He could feel her walls fluttering around him, and he knew that she was close. Javíer wasn’t sure how long he was going to last either, for that matter.

“I’m so close, Javí.” Eve called out with a raspy moan as she began to push back against him and met him thrust for powerful thrust. The sounds of their moans and bodies connecting bounced off the walls of the empty gun range. “Oh, fuck. Just like that.” Eve let out a sweet little cry when she fell over the edge and felt her climax wash over her. It was so powerful that she began to shake and gasp for air as her cunt squeezed Javí’s cock.

There was nothing that Javíer loved more than feeling a woman come as he continued to fuck her. He relished the sounds of Eve’s gasps and needy moans as he held her up and chased his own release.

“You have no idea what you do to me, Eve.” Javí confessed through his ragged breaths. “No. Fucking. Idea”

“Come for me, Javí.” Eve begged as he slammed into her over and over again like a man possessed. “So good, baby. I wanna feel you come.”

Hearing her wanton voice tipped him over the edge and Javíer came loudly with Eve’s name on his lips. Calling out as if he were trying to ground himself while she milked his cock and he let out a loud cathartic roar.

Even though he found himself lost in the moment, Javí noticed the bruises on the back of Eve’s neck that she had managed to successfully hide from him until now. Without thinking, he began to gently kiss and run his soft lips over the offending marks - all while he was still inside her.

Eve hadn’t been expecting him to care for her in such a way. Javíer was doing his best to love away what that man had done to her. The longer they stood there and he attended to her injuries, the more she couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. Eve became overwhelmed with emotion and leaned her back against his chest and let him continue as she wiped away her tears.

“Shh. Don’t cry, querido ” Javí hummed against the side of her neck while at the same time pulling out of her.

Before Eve could lament the loss of their connection, Javíer wrapped both of his arms around her and pressed her body against his chest. He wasn’t ready to stop touching her either. The intimacy was almost too much and Eve’s heart thought it could burst at any moment.

“I’m okay.” Eve insisted as she sniffed and pulled herself together; thankful that he couldn’t see her face and read how important he was becoming to her.

“You don’t ever have to pretend with me…” Javí pleaded with her in a hushed voice. “I want to know your dark and messy stuff, too.”

“I’m okay-ish.” Eve giggled, causing Javí to chuckle into her hair and kiss the back of her head.

“Fair enough.”

Curious, Javí lifted up the back of his stolen plaid shirt and her tank top. The bruises that he found marring her otherwise flawless skin not only made him profoundly sad, but also made him furious. He was angry with Eve for not saying something sooner. But he was mostly angered by the fact that the man who did this to her would never pay for what he did; all because he worked for the fucking Cali cartel.

“You told the paramedic that you were fine.” Javí seethed through his teeth. “Goddamn it, Eve. You could have internal injuries.”

“I was fine! I mean, I am fine.” Eve pouted with a deep sigh as she quickly dressed. “I’m okay, Javí. Don’t fuss so much. I know I don’t look like a girl who can take a punch, but I can assure you-”

“Stop!” Javí wouldn’t let her make light of such a thing and roughly turned her around and kissed her lips without warning. “Don’t, okay.” Javíer pleaded against her lips and then looked deep into her eyes. “Call me old fashioned,” Javí softly warned her as he pressed his forehead against hers and took a moment to be grateful that she wasn’t more seriously hurt. “But I don’t think you getting hurt is some kind of joke. I don’t care what the circumstances are. Understand?”

“I understand.” Eve whispered back.

“I’ll never hurt you. You know that, right?” Javí asked with nothing but raw honesty in his voice.

“I do.” Eve answered without hesitation. Javí was so gentle with her, she wasn’t used to feeling so protected. She knew about his past mistakes, but never in a million years did she think that he would ever hurt her.

He kissed her one last time and smiled when she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

“I’m keeping the shirt, by the way.” Eve informed him with the same mischievous twinkle in her eye that Javíer had found irresistible since the day he met her.

“It looks better on you anyway.” Javíer quipped with a sly sexy smirk as he jumped into his jeans and buckled his belt.

“I strongly doubt that.” Eve winked. “But if it’ll make you fuck me like that again, I’m gunna keep this bad boy handy.”

So much had happened during the span of a single weekend. If anything their time together had proved that it was impossible for them to keep their hands off each other for any substantial amount of time. Neither of them knew how they were going to handle their new found relationship on Monday. But as they made out in front of Eve’s apartment door before Javí dropped her off from their first “date,” they knew that they weren’t ready to walk away from each other.


	10. Jelly Bean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monday morning back at the office isn’t what Javíer and Eve were expecting.  
> Takes place during the beginning of S3E3 “Follow the Money”

Chapter 10: “Jellybean”

Monday morning came far too quickly for Javí’s liking. Before his promotion, decompressing on weekends usually involved a few too many cigarettes, copious amounts of whiskey, and (if he was lucky) he’d get to share his bed with a woman whose time he had paid for and was easily forgotten about. More times than not, the only productive thing Javíer did with his time off was comb over files that he already knew by heart. Usually, he couldn’t wait to get back into the office so he could feel more like himself. Being a DEA agent was his whole identity, Javíer knew nothing else.

It had been strangely fulfilling for a time. But now, since the pending Cali surrender deal, Javí felt like he was just spinning his wheels and wasting his time playing political games with his superiors. The last thing he wanted to do was meet with the two senators that were set to visit the embassy that day. Javí not only hated kissing ass, but he really sucked at it, as well. Unfortunately, these senators were the key to keeping the funding for the DEA in Columbia flowing. Therefore, Javí’s plan was to lay low, let Ambassador Crosby do the talking, and try not to fuck things up somehow.

The only bright spot that Monday morning would have been seeing Eve at the office. But while they were making out in their hallway after their impromptu trip to the gun range, Javí insisted that she take some time off after what had happened to her that weekend. Not only did he care about her, but he was Eve’s boss, as well. So a few self care days off seemed like the least that he could do for her. 

Of course, Eve fought back. She claimed to be fine and pouted until Javí silenced her against her apartment door with another passionate kiss that made her forget why she was upset with him in the first place. 

Maybe Eve was right to be mad with him for giving her special treatment. But Javí had just been trying to look out for her and treat her the way she deserved to be treated. Caring for Eve’s wellbeing came so naturally to him. Almost as if it were a reflex that he couldn’t control. Javí was trying to lean into that feeling instead of fighting it and letting it freak him out. Javí really wanted to play this right and not mess up what was quickly becoming a lot more than just a fling to him.

But the more Javí got to know her, the more he continued to be fascinated by his new personal secretary. Evelyn Capshaw really did play the part of the tough badass so well. For a moment there, she had really had him convinced that she was fine. He was even starting to worry that he was coddling her too much and treating her with kid gloves. But, later that night, Javí could have sworn that he heard her call out and whimper in her sleep through their thin apartment walls.

It had been 3am, but it took all of Javíer’s self control not to get up and knock on her door to check on her. But he heard nothing when he softly called out her name so he assumed that she had uneventfully gone back to sleep and that he was overreacting.

Javíer took out one of his nicer suits and got dressed for work. He knew that he shouldn’t be getting too attached to her, but he was going to miss Eve at the office. But maybe her taking some time off would be for the best. Because for the life of him, Javí had no idea how in the hell were they going to hide their relationship from everyone. Especially from Stoddard. 

Even a blind man could see how much Javíer's deputy duty attache had it in for Eve. Well, the truth was, Stoddard only hated Senator Marcus Capshaw’s daughter when he wasn’t sucking up to her in the hopes of impressing her parents one day.

But the kid wasn’t stupid. It was only a matter of time before Stoddard realized that something had changed between the two of them. But the worst part was, Javíer wasn’t sure what Stoddard would do with that kind of information. Probably try and use it to his advantage somehow, he seemed like the overly ambitious type.

Javí hadn’t heard Eve in her apartment that morning and assumed that she was still sleeping so he didn’t bother checking in on her before he left for work. He wished he could have seen for himself that she was okay. But he hoped to get out of his meeting early enough to possibly bring her lunch. Murphy would laugh at how whipped he was becoming, but Javi didn’t care.

He decided to stop by his local convenience store before work and ran his thumb over his bottom lip as he paid for another pack of cigarettes and a newspaper. His lips still felt a little swollen from kissing Eve in their hallway. Man, did that woman ever know how to kiss. Javí couldn’t remember the last time that he had simply made out with a woman like a couple of teenagers.

He skimmed the front page of the newspaper while he waited in line. Now, what they were dubbing ‘The Cali Accident’ had a running death count. Javí shook his head as his chest began to ache. A few children had died from the poisonous gas. _Fuck._

Between the memory of Eve on lips and the tragic news in Cali, Javí barely noticed the pretty young cashier flirting with him behind the counter. He’d had his eye on the redhead for a while now, but she had never once given him the time of day. Now she was laying it on thick and asking him out.

In all honesty, her playing hard to get probably made him want the cashier more. Javíer had to laugh at himself when he let her down gently, gave her a friendly goodbye and left the store with his purchases. He had no idea he had it in him to just walk away like that without a second thought. But the pretty young cashier wasn’t the woman he really wanted. He had it bad for Eve, there was no use denying it. Murphy used to tease him that this would happen one day.

\-----------------------------

What Javí hadn’t been expecting that morning was to come into work and find the object of his current fantasizes sitting at her desk in front of his office typing away. He hadn’t heard her getting ready for work that morning, and had no idea how long she had been in the office for.

For a minute there, Javíer was under the impression that maybe, just maybe, by giving Eve some time off work, (and not sealing the deal with the pretty young cashier) that he had it in him to be a half decent boyfriend for once in his life. But true to form, Eve wasn’t going to make it easy for him. But if he was being honest with himself, Javí wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Morning, boss.” Eve formally greeted him without looking up from her work. Sadly, Eve was back in her tailored work clothes, but with a light blue scarf around her neck. A look that he would have considered pretty stylish. But Javíer knew better and suspected that she was probably wearing the scarf to cover the bruises that Cali thug had left on her neck. 

But for as good as she looked, all polished and put together, Javíer couldn’t help but miss her messy hair and distressed jeans. There was just something more authentic about her that way.

“Morning?” Javí answered with a raised eyebrow. “You’re here.”

“That I am.” Eve dryly acknowledged, still trying not looking at him. “Gimme your dailies when you get a chance, okay?”

“Can I ask why?” Javí crossed his arms and played along.

“Well, I doubt typing is going to be a lot of fun for you right now.” Eve lowered her voice as more and more people came into the office and headed to their desks. “Has the swelling gone down at all?”

Javí stretched out his fingers a few times and made a tight fist to test his dexterity. Eve was right. After the beating that he had given that asshole in the alley, typing was the last thing that Javíer was looking forward to doing. 

“You sure?” Javíer asked as he went into his office and started looking through that day’s stack of files. “I’m not sure your security clearance is high enough for these.”

“Did you want to explain why they aren’t finished?” Eve quipped as she leaned back in her chair so he could hear her in his office.

Javí smiled to himself as he dutifully watered the plant that Eve had given him; happy to see that it was still thriving given his lack of a green thumb. He also noticed a nice new expensive bottle of whiskey sitting on his wet bar that hadn’t been there on Friday. Sitting alongside it - a fresh box of nicorette gum and an extra pack of cigarettes. 

Javí's smile widened as he realized that even though Eve preferred that he quit smoking, she was ultimately leaving the decision up to him. She was a lot cooler than he deserved.

Ever since she had started working for him, Eve had always gone above and beyond to meet his needs. But now that their relationship had changed, Javí found her efforts more meaningful than he had before. He’d never admit it, but it was a nice feeling to have Eve look after him now. If only she’d let him do the same for her.

“I thought you were supposed to take a few days off.” Javí called out as he took his jacket off and loosened his tie. 

“Oh, I thought that was just Javí, my _‘neighbour’_ talking. Not Agent Peña, my boss.” Eve jested as she strolled into his office to get his paperwork. The way she made the word _‘neighbour’_ sound so sexy and scandalous made Javí bite his lip to hide his smile. 

“You really didn’t have to come in today.”

“And what? Sit around all day and watch telenovelas that I can’t understand a word of?” Eve shrugged and nearly laughed out loud when she saw that, two minutes through the door, and Javíer had already loosened his necktie and lost his suit jacket. Keeping things professional was going to be more difficult then she originally thought. Javí was already giving her butterflies in record time. “Although, making up the stories as I go is kinda fun. You getting sick of me, boss?”

“Hardly.” Javí answered with a laugh. Even though he was disappointed that he couldn’t earn some brownie points by giving her some time off, Javí found himself relieved and happy to see her. He had been absolutely dreading his schedule today, but there was just something about Eve that had always changed his mood for the better; even before they started sleeping together. “The whiskey. Was that you?”

“Just a little thank you.” Eve shyly smiled as she looked down at her feet. “It’s not like Hallmark makes a _‘thanks for saving my life’_ greeting card or anything.”

“You must have gotten an early start this morning.” Javí surmised since she had managed to leave her place before him, run errands, _and_ get a head start on the day’s paperwork. “Sleep well?”

“Not really.” Eve confessed, still not looking at him. The truth was, after her nightmare, she couldn’t go back to sleep and had been in the office for hours now. Although Eve had heard Javí’s concern for her when she had woken up crying, she had chosen not to answer him through their adjoining wall. The truth was, Eve wanted Javíer in her bed - but not as a babysitter. She wanted him to see her as a desirable woman that had her shit together. Not as a scared little girl dreaming of faceless monsters on the street. 

“You should've come over.” Javí offered with nothing but kindness and concern in his voice. “My door is always open to you, you should know that by now.”

“Maybe I’ll take you up on that. I seem to sleep a lot better with you beside me.” Eve raised her eyes from the floor and used her eyelash trick to shamelessly flirt with him. She was hoping to change the subject and mess with him a little bit to keep him from focusing on her unflattering weaknesses. Needless to say, it worked like a charm. “Crawling into your bed in the middle of night would help us both sleep a little better, don’t ya think?”

“Oh, you don’t play fair.” Javí groaned, almost to himself. “This is gunna be harder than I thought.” 

“Whaddya mean?” Eve asked, her big blue eyes filling with concern. Their eyes met and the pull that they had always felt when they were in the same room together was there again in full force. It was so strong that her footing faltered and she found herself unconsciously taking half a step closer to him.

“I just wanna touch you right now.” Javí confessed in a low voice that bordered on desperation.

“Me too.” Eve whispered back after she took a quick look around to make sure no one was listening or watching. “You’re the one that doesn’t play fair, Javí. Why do you always have to look so damn good?”

Javí let out a loud laugh and handed her a small stack of files and let his fingers brush up against hers a little bit longer than necessary. He was playing with fire, but he couldn’t help it. Their connection was still there and stronger than ever. He’d never felt anything like it. 

“Nice scarf.” Javí praised with a dark look in his eye.

“Not really.” Eve answered quickly. Refusing to let him dwell on her injuries anymore than he already had. “It feels like I’m wearing a tie.”

“Not as much fun as it looks, huh?” Javí dryly jested. “You know, you didn’t have to wear heels, by the way.” Javí added now that he knew how much she hated them after her years of ballet training.

“You’re really the fashion police, today. Aren’t cha, Agent Peña?” Eve giggled while Javíer rolled his eyes at her. “Don’t you worry. I started seeing this really sweet guy that tends to make it his personal mission to look out for me. I have a feeling that he’ll rub my feet for me later tonight if I ask him nicely.”

Javí’s breath hitched in his throat. This was the closest that Eve had come to acknowledging the two of them together as a couple. Eve noticed her mistake, but instead of correcting herself, she just licked her lips and waited for him to say something. 

Javíer had caught her slip up, as well, but appeared to be pretty pleased with her so Eve just smiled back at him and let the chips fall where they may.

“I’m sure he will.” Javí hummed in approval as he ran his tongue over his teeth. “In fact, I’m sure he’d love to rub a lot of things…”

“Man, you’re really making me soft, Javí.” Eve whispered as she playfully shook her head and took an exaggerated deep breath. She hadn’t meant to label what they had together, but it felt right and she found it concerning that she didn’t regret it. Javíer was getting under her skin and there wasn’t much that she could do to fight it. Her mother would be so disappointed in her.

“I don’t hate it.” Javí smiled a shy boyish grin. Unlike Eve’s mother, Javíer felt nothing but honoured whenever Eve dropped her guard and let him in. “Soft is a good look on you.”

He seemed so proud of himself for breaking down a few of her walls but he had no idea what kind of trouble he was in store for, Eve thought to herself. _If he only knew..._

“Hey, boss!” Stoddard stuck it head in the doorway and interrupted with a chipper smile, making them both jump. “Ready for the meeting with Ambassador Crosby and the senators?”

“Yeah,” Javí answered with a sigh. Stodddard was way too perky on a Monday morning for his liking. “As ready as I can be.”

“Oh, Eve. I almost forgot.” Stoddard sang out as he gestured to her desk which was now adorned with an ostentatious bouquet of flowers and a comically large jar of jelly beans beside it. “These came from you. Hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of signing for them. You seemed...busy.”

“Thanks, I guess. _Here we go again._ ” Eve mumbled to herself as she pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long frustrated groan. She should have seen this coming when she looked over Javíer’s appointments for the day and read who had flown into Columbia for a meeting.

“Apparently, you’re a favourite with the senators.” Stoddard boosted while he shoved his hands in his pockets, smiling like the cat that caught the canary. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Apparently, you took the liberty of reading Miss. Capshaw’s cards when you signed for her deliveries.” Javíer sharply pointed out, hoping to wipe the grin off his deputy country attache’s face.

Javíer’s ire worked and Stoddard looked down at his feet and quickly made a lame excuse to leave with his tail tucked between his legs.

“So you know these guys?” Javí asked Eve as soon as they were alone. 

“The senators? A bit.” Eve considered with a small shrug. “I sorta grew up around their kids. I actually worked for the same consulting firm with Martin’s daughter for a few years before she opened her own.”

“Consulting firm?” Javíer questioned, sensing an opportunity to discover more about her past. There was something telling him that ballet and secretary work weren’t the only things Eve had done in her life.

“Public relations.” Eve quickly answered, refusing to go into more detail. “But my dad raises a lot of money for the two of them when they’re up for reelection. So I guess, I know the senators as well as anyone one can under those circumstances.” Eve volunteered as she adjusted Javíer’s tie and ignored the annoyed look on his face. He really hated his new formal dress code and, as always, she found his grumpiness adorable. 

“Got any advice for me?”

“Well, Peterson is pretty harmless.” Eve shared, impressed that Javí valued her opinion enough to ask for her help. “He’s a simple man. I bet he’s going to be easily impressed by you and anything to do with ending Escobar.”

“Great.” Javí huffed. If Crosby hadn’t made this meeting mandatory, Javí would have gladly skipped it. He hated being pranced around like some kind of prized pony. “So a hero worship kinda guy?” 

“More or less.” Eve continued as she took her time fixing his tie. “He never served in the military himself, but he was always easily enthralled by my dad and my brother’s war stories. He’ll probably be the same way with you. He’s okay, I guess. He’s always been nice to me, but, then again, he’d never cross my dad. So you never know how genuine his respect is, you know?”

“Hmm.” Javí huffed as he considered how much it would suck to grow up not knowing if people actually respected you, or if they were playing some kind of ambitious political game. But the fact that Eve was well aware of people’s motives, made Javí like her even more. So many people would revel in their status and position and take advantage of the fact that they had been born on third base. Their inflated egos would have them assume that they were as great as people made them out to be. But Eve was humble enough to see the truth. It was a rare quality that Javíer was drawn to like a moth to a flame.

“Peterson’s constituents love him because he plays up his _‘salt of the earth, what you see is what you get’ image._ ” Eve explained. “But don’t let him fool you. He’s not a hero. At the end of the day, he’ll tow the party line and be careful not to make any waves. He’s not sticking his neck out to do the right thing. He’s charming but he’s a snake like the rest of them, only a nicer kind of snake.”

“And Senator Martin?”

“Martin is another story.” Eve warned with a more serious look in her eye. “Still a snake, though.”

“Aren’t they all snakes?” Javí bitterly mused out loud.

“You’re not wrong.” Eve puffed out a small laugh and figured that he’s had to deal with his fair share of politicians in his day. “But Martin is as close to the real deal as you’re gunna get. He was a military man before he ran for election and he’s much smarter than he lets on.”

“How do you mean?” Javí asked. Even though he was giving her much needed information, he was mesmerized by her lips while she spoke and fixed his collar at the same time. Eve was close enough that he could smell her perfume and it had the same effect on him that it always had. 

Javíer had no idea he possessed such self control. All he wanted to do was rip that stupid scarf off her neck and have his way with her on his office couch. He was only just learning how she liked to be touched and he wanted to continue his education. He just couldn’t help it; every touch from Eve, no matter how innocent or benign from her, felt like raw electricity dancing over his skin. 

“Well, he’s not exactly conventionally personable, from what I remember.” Eve advised and pulled Javíer from his dirty thoughts. “He usually skips all of the friendly smiles and handshakes; he leaves those to Peterson. He’s not soft. But more importantly, he hasn’t had a primary challenge in _decades.”_

“Really? Why is that so important?”

“You’ll meet him.” Eve informed him knowing smirk. “No one dares to go up against him. Just don't underestimate him. Martin bleeds red, white, and blue. So if you ever plan on maybe ignoring the Cali surrender deal-”

“Who said I was planning on breaking the deal?” Javí jumped in, hating that she could read his mind so easily. “Besides, the deal isn’t even official yet. Technically there’s nothing to break.” 

“Well, if you ever plan on ignoring it and actually busting those well dressed thugs.” Eve grinned at how easy it was to push his buttons. “Martin and Peterson will only be interested in the American point of view. I’m a little surprised that the pair of them even left the country, to be honest. So if I were you.”

“Be happy you’re not me.”

“Thank god.” Eve teased back with a wink. “You gotta give them a reason to go up against Cali and the Columbia government; _an American reason._ It being the right thing to do, won't fly with them. But, at the end of the day, if they like you, I’d take it as a compliment. Especially Martin.”

“Have either of them _liked_ you?” Javí inquired with a raised eyebrow, remembering how she hadn’t wanted her new boss to like her too much on her first day of work. A woman like Eve was probably used to her fair share of unwanted male attention. But more than that, Eve grew up surrounded by politicians but seemed to know a lot more than a simple bystander would. He hated the idea of having to suck up to a man that might have harassed her in the past.

“Nothing like that. They tolerate me. But I’m pretty sure the jelly beans were from Martin personally.” Eve winked, sensing some jealousy from Javí and finding it hilarious since the senators were both older than her father. But more importantly, (unlike some of the men in Eve’s unfortunate past) her father’s colleagues were smart enough to never risk a falling out with her family by messing with her.

“Jelly beans?” Javíer chuckled, the sound of his laughter was quickly becoming her favourite thing in the world and it kept her from dwelling on her bad memories.

“Yeah. They’re kinda an inside joke on the hill.” Eve sighed with a playful eye roll. “That, and the flowers are too nice to be from his secretary. I dumped her son senior year of high school and she’s hated me ever since.”

“Eve Capshaw - breaking hearts, left and right. Why am I not surprised.” Javí charmingly smiled as he lifted his chin and let her button the top button on his shirt.

“He was _terrible._ ” Eve scoffed at the memory. “He was rude to the waiter and ate with his mouth open. Just talked about himself. Very dumpable.”

“I agree.”

“Anyways. Martin and Peterson are both high ranking members of the appropriation committee.” Eve stated the obvious as she brushed away some invisible lint from his shoulder so she could get away with touching him at work. But her plan quickly blew up in her face when the innocent touch only fed the desire she had for him. Her mind wandered to the memory of Javíer gripping her hips while he fucked her at the gun range the day before. Her body betrayed her as she licked her lips and began to get frustratingly wet. Javí smelled so good, she just couldn’t help it. “So today is probably all about _money._ That means you’re stuck in this tie for the rest of the day. Try and leave it on, okay.” 

“Maybe cutting the purse strings and shutting down this place wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.” Javí bitterly pondered out loud. “I don’t know why I came back here if they were just going to let the Cali cartel walk like this.”

“You know you don’t mean that, Javí.” Eve called him out in a soothing tone. She hated the troubled look in his brown eyes and wished that she could wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his chest. She hadn’t been lying; Javíer really was making her soft. “There’s gotta be a way…who knows, maybe this meeting might help shake something loose? After Escobar, the Columbians just want peace at any cost. But men like Martin and Peterson want _a win_. An American win. Or at least something that they can personally campaign on. They might be the key. Because for better or for worse, they aren’t going to be as cautious as the Columbians.”

“I hate how right you can be sometimes.” Javí shyly smiled down at her and resisted the overwhelming urge he had to place a kiss on her forehead. What in the world was a woman like Eve doing with him?

“Don’t get me wrong.” Eve sighed. “I don’t want any more Columbians to die; especially over the drug war. But... I believe in you, Javí. I really do. I believe in what you’re trying to do here.”

Javíer held her gaze for a moment and couldn’t decide what was his favourite side to her. Eve was physically beautiful in a completely disarming way. But not only that, Eve had also made him laugh and smile more in the past few weeks than he had in a very long time. Javí was fascinated by her, but more importantly, she just seemed to get where he was coming from in a way that no other woman ever had before. The sakes between them were getting higher the more he cared about her. Javí really didn’t want to mess this up.

“Meet up later?” Was all Javíer could muster up to say. Hearing how much faith she had in him caused a hard lump to form in his throat and he hoped that she hadn’t caught how much her words had meant to him.

“Of course.” Eve waited until he was finished gathering his things for his meeting before she discreetly added. “And if you keep your tie on, I promise to take it off you later, myself. Maybe we could find a better use for it...”

“I’m looking forward to it, _mi princesa_.” Javí added, laying on his accent as thick as he could knowing that it would give her a taste of her own medicine and mess with her. Try as he might to deny it, they really were perfect for each other.

\------------------------------

As Javíer attended his mandatory meeting with the two visiting senators, Eve hung out with Feistl and Van Ness in Duffy and Lopez’s old office. With Javíer out of the building, the last thing that she wanted to do was deal with Stoddard. It was only a matter of time before he asked her for a personal introduction to Peterson and Martin. The whole situation just sucked.

“You two are children, you know that right?” Van Ness teased as he watched Eve and Feistl try and throw jelly beans into each other's mouths from across the room. Eve was a lot better at catching them then his partner. Poor Feistl just couldn’t stop the colourful candy from bouncing off his nose over and over again. “You’re embarrassing, man.”

“Chris, I’m telling ya. You have to keep your eye on the ball until you're ready to catch it.” Eve giggled while she chewed on her candy.

“Whatever. You’re just a terrible shot, Capshaw.” Fistel playfull shot back. “I’m stealing some of these for Molly, by the way. Jellybeans are her favourite.”

“I already put some in a bag for her.” Eve informed him as she lined up her shot, only to have him move at the last second and miss again. “Was she mad that I bailed on dinner last night?”

Little did the Feistl family know, Eve had chosen to go to the gun range with Javí last night instead of attending their weekly Sunday night family dinner. The Feistl’s had really taken Eve under their wing and she hated disappointing them. But it had been worth it to see the more animalistic side of Javíer. She still couldn’t believe that they hadn’t gotten caught. Besides, she had been so rattled after her assault and she knew that his wife Emily would pick up on her mood and ask what had happened.

“A little.” Chris shrugged. “You know her, she’s got a temper like her mother’s.” 

“Emily is a saint, and you know it.” Eve fired back, quick to defend her new friend. “I’ll make it up to her. Bring Molly over and I’ll let her bang around on my piano for a while. I’ll be her best friend again in no time.”

“I’m sure the boss next door will love that.” Feistl chuckled as he opened his mouth wide and missed the jellybean headed his way. 

“You guys are a disaster.” Van Ness chastised them from his desk. “I get us a nice new office and you’ve got candy all over the floor.”

“Oh, shush, you!” Eve laughed as she tossed a jellybean Van Ness’s way and lit up and cheered like a little kid when he effortlessly caught it in his mouth. 

“Correction. Chris got candy all over the floor.” Van Ness boasted as he ate his jellybean while he organized his new desk. 

“Whatever.” Fistel pouted from his chair. “Sitting around eating candy is the most excitement we can hope for nowadays.”

“What happened to that financial intel that you got from your guy in customs?” Eve asked as she tossed a jelly bean high up in the air and caught it in her mouth just to show off. “That new bank info was like the cartel financial-”

 _“Financial brainstem.”_ Chris finished her sentence while he reached over and stole a handful of Eve’s candy. “Yeah, well Agent Peña wasn’t as impressed with that term as you were.”

“Really?” Eve questioned with her mouth full. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“Look, I took him everything like an over eager boy scout. But he said that they’re not sending a new team to Cali. Duffy and Lopez were it - and they’re long gone.” Chris huffed while he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I don’t get it. We have arrest warrants for the Rodriguez brothers that are just collecting dust. He wasn’t even impressed with the stupid diagram I drew for you the other night.”

Javí wasn’t the only person that had been tutoring Eve on the art of cartel money laundering. When Feistl wasn’t trying to (unsuccessfully) teach her Spanish, the two of them had been neck deep in financial transactions for days now.

“Well, _I_ liked your diagram.” Eve assured him with a sympathetic smile. “It was very informative.” Feistl had actually taught her a lot about the cartels dealing and their whole money laundering operation. From what Eve could tell, Feistl was a really great DEA agent and she really wished that Javíer would give him a chance to prove it to him. She had been toying with the idea of throwing in a good word for her friend. But it felt wrong now that her and Javíer were secretly sleeping together - but she would be lying if she said she hadn’t considered it. The Fiestl’s were good people and there was nothing that Eve wouldn’t do to help them. But having real people in her life was such a precious thing to her, Eve really didn’t want to mess it up somehow.

“I just wish I could catch a break.” Chris groaned like a child. “I can’t even catch a stupid jellybean.” 

“Open your mouth and close your eyes.” Eve ordered while Van Ness rolled his eyes at them. Feistl did as he was told and Eve tossed a jelly bean right into his mouth - proving that it wasn’t her aim that was the problem. “I hate to ask, but...any luck getting my care package out of customs?” 

“My guy can actually make that happen.” Fistel nodded, chewing his candy but still looking like a sad puppy. “At least my connections are useful for something.”

Friends from back home had sent Eve a ridiculously large box of American junk food to tide her over during her stay in South America; only to have it sit unopened in a Columbian customs warehouse. Chris knew the way things worked in the country. Eve wouldn’t be seeing that package unless she came ready with a fairly sizable bribe. Fortunately for her, he had some connections that could bypass the typical corruption.

“Hang in there, big guy.” Van Ness playfully tried to comfort him while Eve threw him another jelly bean which he expertly caught in his mouth again. “Say, what’s with the scarf, Capshaw? Still trying to hide that hickey?”

“Oh. My. God! You’re the worst, Daniel!” Eve gasped and pretended to be offended through her laughter. 

“Hickey?” Chris repeated. His innocent eyes went wide as he searched his friends' faces for answers. The two of them were giggling and smirking at each other and Chris realized that he was out of the loop. “Who? Eve? You have a hickey? No way! Who gave you a hickey? You know we’re not in highschool anymore, right?”

“Colleen set us up on blind date this past weekend.” Van Ness started to explain. 

“You and Eve?” Feistl laughed at the thought. ‘Wait! You didn’t give her the hickey, did you?” 

“Him? Uh, hell no.” Eve scoffed but burst out laughing when Van Ness playfully took offensive and hung his mouth open in shock.

“Nope, she showed up with it.” Van Ness playfully sold her out. “You gunna tell him how you bailed on me to run off with your mystery guy?”

“You’re such a little shit.” Eve laughed as she threw a jelly bean at Van Ness and deliberately hit him on the forehead. 

“Ouch!” Van Ness roared with laughter in voice. “Whatever, I’m still eating it. She’s pretty hung up on this guy, too. Don’t let her give you anything of that _‘I’ve never been in love bullshit’_ ”

“I haven’t!” Eve protested through her giggles.

“You’re really seeing someone?” Feistl blurted out while Eve giggled at him and popped a few more jelly beans in her mouth. She was used to having brothers, but Fiestl and Van Ness were a lot more fun than Lucas since he started running for office. “Oh man, Emily and I have a bet going. She’s gunna flip! Watch out, Capshaw cause she’s gunna wanna meet ‘em.”

“Not a chance.” Eve protested with a sly grin. “This isn’t a _‘take him home to meet your mother’ kinda thing.”_

“Bullshit.” Van Ness called her out. “You got it bad for your mystery guy and you know it.”

“Come on! It’s just us.” Feistl pleaded with her. “You’re like a little sister to us. We wanna make sure you aren’t dating some asshole.”

“Too late.” Eve laughed as she gestured to Van Ness. “Thanks to Colleen, I already had to suffer through a date with this asshole.” 

“Touche.” Van Ness chuckled.

“Yeah, say no to us. Fine. But Emily loves you.” Feistl tried pulling on Eve’s heartstrings. “She’s gunna wanna meet hickey guy.” 

“I love you guys, too.” Eve groaned at her own cheesiness. “Look, I wasn’t born yesterday. You can’t go to Cali, so you’re trying to entertain yourself at my expense.” Eve rightfully pointed out. “It’s never gunna happen.”

“I’ll set Molly on you. My little girl’s got you wrapped around her little finger.” Feistl threatened with a knowing smile.

“And you’re not, super dad?” Eve fought back with a loud laugh. “Using Molly is a low, even for you.” There was nothing that she wouldn’t do for his four year old daughter and he knew it. “No more candy for you.”

“On second thought.” Feistl chuckled at her. “Good call, because if I know my wife, Emily is gunna wanna interrogate the hell outta him. She’ll have him singing in no time.”

“Sounds like I’ve partnered up with the wrong Feistl.” Van Ness grinned.

Eve was about to pelt both of them with jelly beans, when they heard a knock on the office door. All three acted as though they had been caught doing something naughty and sat up straighter and tried to look more professional. Only to relax when they found that it was just Katie letting herself in.

“Hi, guys.” Katie greeted them with a broad smile that didn’t seem to reach her eyes. For as confident as she had always appeared to be around the office, this time Katie seemed to be nervous and everyone was suspicious of her.

“Anything we can help you with?” Van Ness formally asked once he had cleared his throat.

From experience, the young intern was used to getting what she wanted without having to try too hard. It was still a man’s world and Katie had never been shy about using her feminine charms to open doors that would have otherwise been shut for her. But in this case, both Feistl and Van Ness were both faithful to their respective wives and had ever really given her the time of day before. They were the rare men in the office that wouldn’t even check her out when she made excuses to walk by their desks. But, as frustrated as that made her, Katie hadn't been looking for them. This time, the pretty young intern had been searching for Eve.

“Evelyn, just the girl I was looking for!” Katie beamed with a fakeness in her voice that had Feistl and Van Ness worried for whatever Katie had in store for their friend. “Wanna go outside and grab a smoke with me?”

“Eve doesn’t smoke.” Feistl answered for her. 

“I just might take it up to get you guys to shut up.” Eve sang out as she stood up and grabbed her things.

\---------------

It took a grand total of 15 minutes for Eve to discover that she had made a big mistake by trying to befriend Katie. Maybe Eve was still lonely and searching for some friendly female energy, or maybe she had been right before; Javí really was making her soft. But either way, Eve should have seen Katie coming a mile away. 

At first it seemed like her and Katie had a lot in common. They lamented over the office dress code and the old boys club as Katie took her smoke break at the front of the embassy. But soon the conversation steered towards Javíer and the one night stand that he had with Katie after their first day of work and Eve wanted to sink into the ground.

“But he’s been really cool since then.” Katie boasted while Eve tried to keep her seething jealousy from registering on her face. 

If Eve hadn’t turned Javíer down that first day, she was positive that it would have been her hooking up with him and not the pretty intern. Eve knew that Javí was a free man and could do whatever he wanted, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Man, Javí really was getting under her skin. Eve had never been the jealous type before.

“Well, that’s good, I guess.” 

“I can’t even tell you how many men think that they have an open invitation to hit on you at work after a hookup.” Katie explained as she smoked, none the wiser to Eve’s fowl mood. “But from what I can tell, Agent Peña doesn’t kiss and tell. So much so, that he doesn’t even act like I exist. Which, in this case, is probably a bad thing. I wouldn’t mind going another round with him.”

“Well, I try not to mix business with my _recreational activities._ ” Eve shared as she looked around for an exit. That wasn’t exactly a lie. Eve had tried not to fall into bed with her boss. But Katie didn’t need to know that Eve had been unsuccessful in her attempts.

“Well, you’re smarter than I am.” Katie giggled. “Don’t let his age fool you. If you ever change your mind, Agent Peña was a great lay. I could barely keep up with him.”

“Can’t say that I’ve ever had that problem before.” Eve muttered under her breath and noticed an older attractive woman with curly hair smiling and trying not to laugh as she overheard their conversation. Eve gave her a small smile before she turned her attention back to Katie.

“It must be easier for you.” Katie wondered out loud as she turned and blew her smoke away from her. “I mean...sorry. I just mean, people know who you are. They listen to you. I doubt you get messed with in the same way the rest of us do.”

“Messed with?” Eve repeated. “Is someone messing with you?”

“Not currently, but you know how it is for women.” Katie shrugged. “Look, I was wondering if you could possibly help me out with something.”

“How so?” _Here we go,_ Eve thought to herself.

“I’m not sure how to ask you this.” Katie suddenly got nervous now that she was getting to the point of their little get together. “But the rest of us would really like a chance to maybe socialize with Agent Peña and get to know him a little bit better. You know, after hours.”

“Sounds like you already got to know him after hours.” Eve dryly pointed out, noticing the attractive curly haired woman looking away to hide her smirk. Eve couldn’t blame her, the conversation she was stuck having with Katie was ridiculous.

“Well, that’s kinda the problem.” Katie confessed. “He’s a legend here and all of the newbies want to ask him about Escobar and his years here during the height of the drug war. But...well, it sucks, but he avoids me now that we fucked. He never comes into McRibs anymore after work. And well, don’t take this the wrong way, but I see the way that he is with you. If you were to, lets say, have a little housewarming party or something. I’m sure that he would come if you asked him to.”

“Oh, Katie. I dunno about this…”

“I know that it’s a lot to ask.” Katie pleaded with her with big eyes. “But you don’t know what it’s like to have to network and start at zero to try and get a head.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I just know who you are, Eve.” Katie explained, trying unsuccessfully to hide the edge in her voice. “You already had one foot in the door before your plane even landed in Columbia. It’s harder for the rest of us to get a head, that’s all. It would really mean a lot to everyone. We’re counting on you.”

“Hey guys, there you are!” Stoddard announced as he came out of nowhere. “So did you ask her?”

“Good timing. She’s not exactly thrilled with the idea.” Katie huffed as she took another puff of her cigarette.

“I see.” Stoddard hummed. “Well, you owe me 50 bucks, I knew she wouldn’t do it.”

“You bet against me?” Eve snapped at her colleague. “That’s cold, Stoddard. Even for you.”

“Should I confess now that I also had hundred bucks riding on whether or not you could even get him to show up?” Stoddard smugly taunted as he shoved his hands in his pockets. 

“I want in on that action.” Eve quickly demanded without thinking. She knew that they were playing her. But between Katie spouting off about her night with Javíer and implying that she wouldn’t help them because she was better than them, Eve snapped. Besides, on a good day, Eve would do just about anything to wipe that smug look off on Stoddard’s face. “House party, tomorrow night, my place. Double or nothing. Two hundred bucks says that Agent Peña will be there with bells on.”

“Sorry, tomorrow night won't work. We have that big embassy dinner with the State Department.” Katie advised before they sealed the deal. 

“What big embassy dinner?” Eve scoffed as she furrowed brows. “I have Peña’s schedule for the next three weeks and there’s nothing on there about the State Department throwing an event.”

“Yeah…” Stoddard started to explain with a pain expression. “That’s because I was asked not to inform you until the last minute.”

“Who the fuck would ask you to do that?” Eve demanded with her hands on her hips.

“That would be your mother.” Stoddard unapologetically admitted. “She thought you’d find something else to do if you knew she was going to be there.”

_“My mother is in Columbia!”_


	11. Change of Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javíer and Eve discuss his decision to send Feistl to Cali and the state of their relationship.
> 
> Takes place at the end of S3E2: The Cali KGB

After the morning that Eve had endured, the embassy’s records room proved to be just the place for her to zone out and hide from the rest of the world until the workday was over. 

Stoddard and Katie would never lower themselves to complete such menial tasks like refiling old reports. For the time being, Eve was safe from them and their plotting and lame attempts at starting a fake friendship with her.

Unfortunately, hiding from her problems wasn’t new to Eve. When she was a young child, Eve would isolate herself in the quietest parts of her home when the stress that came along with her last name became too much for her to handle. Eve would hide out with her dolls and barbies long enough to get a few innocent nannies fired when no one (except for maybe her older brother Ben) could find her. But then as the years passed, she’d lose herself in a book for hours or create entire detailed worlds on paper to escape her circumstances. 

Later, in her teenage years, Eve had been notorious for slaving over her ballet dancing until her feet bled and she collapsed on the floor from exhaustion. Whether it was her toys, her writing, or her dancing; it was all the same pathetic attempt to ignore her problems and stick her head in the sand. 

Eve was self aware enough to hate that she still avoided her issues instead of facing them head on. But old habits die hard. She wouldn’t be in Columbia if she’d outgrown that nasty habit now would she? As an adult, Eve found that it was a lot easier to successfully hide when you had a passport and no one to miss you.

Needless to say, discovering that her mother was attending an event at the embassy brought back all of those old feelings that Eve had hoped she’d outgrown by now.

Elizabeth Capshaw was up to something; evident by the fact that Eve’s mother had enlisted Stoddard’s to keep her in impending visit a secret from her daughter. But why? Was her mother coming to check in on her or to send her home? Eve tried not to chew on her fingernails while she stressed about it.

On a good day, her children could flip a coin to see if they were going to get Lizzie Capshaw the loving mother of three or Elizabeth Capshaw cold blooded state department official who carried the balls of every man who had crossed her in her designer handbag.

Did Eve even want to go home? Sure, she had fought coming to Columbia like a petulant child having a temper tantrum. But that was before the dashing Javíer Peña had swooped in and turned her whole world upside down. Besides, there wasn’t anything but a dusty old condo and a team of fair weather friends waiting for her in America.

At the very least, their mother daughter reunion would be in public. Eve could take some comfort in knowing that there was no way that her mother would make a scene and ruin her precious reputation….right?

Besides, Eve had her reasons for hiding out in Columbia for the time being. But since Javíer Peña had snuck his way into her heart every decision meant more now because of that man and his warm brown eyes and sexy smile. 

The dread sitting in her chest made it hard to function. But Eve vowed to keep Javíer safe from her family. Even if it meant ending things with him and never seeing him again. Her family had always found a way to wreck anything good in her life and she’d be damned if she let them get their hooks into him. Her desire to protect him was so fierce that it gave her a sense of clarity and focus. Quite frankly, Eve’s feelings for him were the only thing keeping her from curling up in the fetal position at the moment.

Eve had a terrible feeling that her mother was about to ruin what her and Javíer had started. After all, Eve’s mother had all the ammunition in the world to sink their budding romance and change the warm and adoring way that Javíer looked at her. Eve knew that she needed to bite the bullet and be the one to tell Javíer about her past career and the way that her last relationship ended. It was the right thing to do. But Javíer made her feel like a new person. And if Eve was being honest with herself, she was really starting to like the person she was with Javí and she wanted to stay that person for as long as possible. 

It didn’t help that, after Javíer saved her in that alley, Eve told herself that she should avoid bringing any more drama into his life. She was right that morning when they cuddled in his bed after her attack; Javíer did carry a heavy weight with him and the thought of adding her baggage to the weight made her tummy hurt. Things were so much easier when he was just a hot distraction. Caring about him was such a terrible mistake. Losing him was going to hurt.

Maybe her mother blowing up her relationship with Javíer would be for the best. He was such a good man whether or not he ever admitted to himself. Eve tried to prepare herself for Javíer truly seeing the real her; mistakes and all. The admiration in Javíer’s kind brown eyes would inevitably change and go cold. What hurt more was knowing that she deserved to lose him.

Eve winced in her uncomfortable chair and cursed herself (yet again) for getting emotionally involved with a man that could only end up hating her once he knew the truth. Why couldn’t she go back to being attracted to bad boy assholes who would never be caught dead doing the right thing unless there was something in it for them. Javier had a code, and that could only end up coming between them once he knew what she had been capable of in the past.

Eve had no idea how long she’d been reorganizing files when she heard a soft knock coming from the wall by the door. Hoping to see Javíer, Eve looked up only to see Van Ness leaning against the wall, brows knitted together with concern.

“I’m heading out. You want me to walk you home, Capshaw?”

“Naw, I’m good.” Eve quickly answered, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. She was terrible at lying to a person’s face and didn’t want anyone to know that she was pining for a man like a love struck teenager. Especially one of Javí’s subordinates. “You’re leaving? What time is it anyway?”

“Nearly eight.” Van Ness smiled, clearly amused with her the befuddled expression on her face as she looked around and tried to regain her bearings. “Haven’t seen you all day. How’d it go with Katie? You two girls exchange recipes and shit?”

“I don’t cook.” Eve dryly informed him through her yawn. “But if she ever comes looking for me again, feel free to cover for me. That was a disaster.” 

“Sure thing.” Van Ness nodded. He had a feeling that the two of them wouldn’t get along. “Feistl is still here, let him know when you’re ready to head out; make sure you get home okay.”

“Awww, you worried about me? You almost sound like a nice guy.” Eve teased. 

“Don’t tell anyone, I don’t wanna ruin my reputation.” 

“Your secret's safe with me.” Eve winked. “Say, is anyone else still here?”

“It’s pretty dead out there.” Van Ness yawned. “Just Chris and the boss.”

Van Ness caught the way that Eve’s eyes lit up and but knew that there was no way she was excited to hear that Feistl was still lingering around the office. 

“Don’t start, Daniel.” Eve warned when she realized that she had outed herself and let her feelings for Javíer show.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Van Ness sang out. “Does Chris know?”

Instead of answering him, Eve gave Van Ness a pointed look that very effectively shut him up but also confirmed his suspicions. 

“Well, you could do worse.” Daniel reluctantly approved with a heavy sigh.

“I have done worse.” Eve mumbled under her breath. “That’s why I’d appreciate if you didn’t say-”

“Hey, I’m not that guy.” Van Ness assured her in a more serious tone. “I met my wife while I was working for her dad. So I get it. He would’ve had my balls in the early days when we first started dating. Discretion is my middle name. Besides, Chris was right earlier. You’re like a little sister to us around here. Look, I…” Van Ness started as he nervously looked around the room and tried to find the right words. “I know about your parents. I even met your younger brother last year in Washington...” Eve held her breath and prepared herself to lose another friend because bringing up her family never went well. “Shit, it just felt weird not to say anything. But I’m not looking to mess with you or anything like that. You know that right?”

Eve couldn’t sense any duplicity from him and found the tension slowly leaving her body as she leaned back in her uncomfortable chair. Van Ness was a good guy and if Javí hadn’t come out from nowhere and completely swept her off her feet, Eve might have given him a second look on their blind date. 

“I do know that. Thank you.” Eve sweetly smiled. “I mean it. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Van Ness shyly grinned. “And don’t walk home alone, okay. Local cops have been warning the embassy that more and more women are being harassed and attacked in the city lately.”

“I won't.” Eve gulped as she unconsciously rubbed the back of her neck, knowing that she had been one of those unfortunate women recently. 

Eve quickly finished up the stack of dusty files that she had been working on and filed them away. It had been a long day, but once she headed out onto the main floor and caught Javíer’s eye in his office, all of that stress seemed to melt away the minute their eyes met. 

There was something in his posture that told her that he hadn’t had that best day either. But the way he smiled at her while he quickly put out his cigarette on his desk, had Eve feeling like maybe they could change that for each other.

“Hey!” Chris stopped her in her tracks before she could make it into Javí’s office. “Guess who’s going to Cali?” 

“What?” This was news to Eve. But judging by the huge excited smile on Feistl’s face, he wasn’t messing with her. “Really?”

“I guess the boss changed his mind.” Chris shrugged and tried to play it cool, but Eve could practically hear how fast his heart was beating. This was everything that Feistl had wanted since coming to Columbia, but she was going to mess seeing his friendly face everyday.

“Must have been that shitty diagram that won him over.” Eve teased. She looked over her shoulder and noticed that Javí was closing the blinds in his office. “When do you leave?”

“Van Ness and I leave in the morning.” Chris explained while he struggled to put on his suit jacket. “I gotta go break the news to him...and to my wife, actually. I hate to ask...but would you mind mind, maybe-”

“I’ll check up on Emily while you’re gone.” Eve offered without hesitation, finishing his sentence for him. “Even though she’s got her shit together more than any other person I know.”

Feistl was so excited, that he simply smiled and nodded and quickly turned on his heel to leave, excited to get back home and spend a few hours with his family. But Eve wasn’t going to let the first real friend she had made here run out without a proper goodbye.

“Wait!” Eve blurted out as she grabbed his arm and pulled him into a playfully aggressive bear hug. He was taken so off guard, that they both nearly fell over. “Be smart out there, Feistl. But be careful. _I mean it._ ” Eve ordered into his shoulder and felt him finally relax into their embrace and hug her back. “If either one of you gets hurt, I’m going to kick your ass. Tell Daniel to be careful, too.” 

“You got it, Capshaw.” Feistl smiled down at her. “I thought I was the only spontaneous hugger?”

“Shuddup.” Eve giggled as she playfully smacked him and finally let him go. 

“I’m running out now, boss.” Feistl called out behind her. Eve quickly looked behind her and found Javí leaning against the door frame of his office. She couldn’t exactly read the dark look on his face and wondered how long he had been watching her and Feistl together. “Make sure she gets home okay?”

“You got it.” Javí answered with a solemn nod.

“Thanks again for the opportun-” Feistl's sentence trailed off when Javíer pushed himself off the door frame and headed back into his office without letting him finish. 

“The boss is an acquired taste, huh?”

“You have no idea.” Eve muttered under her breath as Feistl rushed out to see his family. Javíer Peña was a taste that she had very much acquired.

“So…” Eve hummed as she took Javíer’s place against his door frame and watched as he organized some of the paperwork on his desk. Eve couldn’t help but notice a garment bag hanging up in the back of the room. She assumed it was the tux that Javí would be wearing to the state department dinner the next day. Stoddard must have loved jumping in and doing a task that she would have been responsible for if she had been given the information sooner. “Sounds like you had an eventful day.”

“I guess, I did.” Javí admitted as he took three quick strides towards her and pulled her into his office, swiftly closing the door behind her. “But it feels like it’s getting a helluva lot better.”

Before Eve knew what was happening, Javí had her pressed up against the wall with his thigh firmly placed between her legs. Eve could barely remember her name as his hungry lips crashed against hers. _God he was good at this,_ was all that she could think as a primal moan escaped from the back of her throat. For as much as kissing him had become one of her favourite pastimes, this time was different. Not that she was complaining, but Javíer was kissing her like a starving man possessed. 

Eve could sense that something big was playing out in his mind, but all she could do was melt into body and try to keep up with him, savouring the time they had together.

Slowly, Eve could feel all of the tension leaving both of their bodies as they indulged in each other after a long day of work. She matched his bruising kiss and felt him lick her bottom lip and she happily parted her lips and granted him access. Everything felt so clear and focused when Eve was kissing Javi. There weren’t any secrets between them, or parents meddling in her life. There were no more nightmares or flashback memories of her attacker.

There was only Javier and the way that he made her feel. All Eve wanted was to give Javi back even just a small amount of what he was able to give her. Her need to please came from the purest part of her heart and she couldn’t help but become swept away by that feeling as she let his tongue dip into her mouth and she began to suck on it and taste him. 

Eve carded her hands through his hair and ran her nails along his scalp, all the while her heart thundered in her chest. 

She had no idea what kind of effect that assault would have on him and smiled against his lips when Javí made a sound akin to a growl. She’d have to remember that trick next time.

“You taste so good.” Javíer hummed against her cheek as he pressed his thigh against the apex of her thighs. Grinning like the chester cat when he could feel her warmth through their clothes. “I can’t get enough...and here you are - _all mine.”_

“Back to that, huh?” Eve teased with a delighted hum when he dove for her neck and left wet open mouthed kisses along the areas of her throat that weren’t covered by her scarf. “You’re pretty fucking hot when you’re jealous, Javí.” Eve giggled and panted as Javier slowly pulled away after being called out. “I hate to break it to you, but there’s nothing going on between me and Feistl.” Eve professed as she ran her hand down the column of his throat and loosened his tie. “There’s no need to be possessive or -”

“Jealous?” Javí chuckled as he finally pulled her offending blue scarf off and let it fall to the ground so he could gain better access to the side of her neck. “You think I’m jealous?” Javí mumbled as he slowly ran his lips over her fading bruises. “Fuck, maybe I am...I haven’t been with a woman long enough to get possessive over her. Maybe you’re onto something.”

“Have you seen his wife? Chris won the lottery. If he cheated on her, I’d kick his ass.” Eve giggled until the unspeakable dawned on her. “Wait, that's not why you're sending him to -”

“No, baby.” Javí let his hands run down her body, stopping to firmly squeeze and fondle both of her breasts over shirt before resting them on her hips. Everything about her felt warm and inviting. Having her in his arms reminded him of that homey feeling that he had felt when she had spent the night in his apartment and he couldn’t seem to get enough of it. “That’s not the way I roll. Feistl wanted the assignment and he seems like a good agent.”

“He is.” Eve confirmed before she stole another chaste kiss only to have Javíer hold the back of her head and deepened their kiss again until she began to giggle against his lips. “Poor Javí.” Eve smiled with her blue eyes brimming with mischief. “You know, his family has practically adopted me. If his wife figures out that I’m _‘yours,’_ Emily is gunna put you through your paces. Be careful what you wish for.” 

“I’m never gunna live that down, am I?” Javí held her face in his hands and took a moment to marvel at how beautiful Eve was when she was happy. He quickly realized that he’d do just about anything to keep that smile on her face.

“I kid.” Eve cooed as she licked her lips. “Kiss me like that again and I might admit that I had a change of heart.”

“You’re gunna kill me.” Javí sighed, shoulders dropping as he expected the worst. “Change of heart about what?” 

“No dying.” Eve playfully ordered with a wink that was starting to make Javíer’s pants a little too tight and cumbersome. “But I might secretly like being yours.”

“Good.” Javíer answered with a bold sexy look in his eye, but secretly, he couldn’t believe his luck. As much fun as it was to chase her, Javi loved knowing that Eve wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

“But I guess the real question is…” Eve purred under his heated stare. “Is the great Agent Peña, _mine?”_

Javíer looked down at her and resisted the urge to laugh. ‘The great Agent Pena’ was as whipped as he could ever remember being. Instead of laughing at her, Javi collected Eve’s long hair at the base of her neck and looked her in the eyes for a moment before he answered her.

“If I wasn’t already yours, princesa, I wouldn’t be here.” Javíer’s rich voice dripped with a warmth that made Eve’s knees go weak. “I’d be meeting up with a lovely woman that I’ve been trying to land for a few years now. She finally noticed that I existed this morning.”

 _“Land?”_ Eve scoffed and giggled at the same time and the sound finally made Javíer’s sexy dark expression crack and he smiled and chuckled along with her. “Well, the night’s still young.” Eve sang out as she pretended to check his watch. “You could probably still catch up with her.”

“Too late.” Javíer sly smirked as he ran his nose up the side of her cheek and tightened his grip on her hip. “I already told her that I was seeing someone. She's kinda a pain in the ass, though. But she’s worth it.”

“I like that.” Eve breathlessly confessed.

“Do you?”

“More than I ever thought I would.” Eve wasn’t lying. The idea of another woman hitting on him made her blood boil and that had never been her style before Javíer. But the fact that Javíer wasn’t looking to see anyone else made Eve want to do a very uncool happy dance in the middle of his office. Eve was getting in too deep, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, Javíer? How was your meeting with the senators?” Eve sweetly smiled as she wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed as the warmth of his body comforted her deep down to her soul. “You don’t have to babysit them do you?”

“God no. They’re currently getting their asses kissed by Ambassador Crosby.” Javí jested as he held her against him and breathed in the warm vanilla scent of her hair. He had no idea just how much he had missed her, until she was back in his arms again. Javíer was conflicted. On one hand, he would have loved nothing more than to fuck the hell out of Eve on his office couch. They were all alone on the floor and could easily get away with it. But on the other hand, Eve was _talking._ Not only talking, she was interested in his day. There was something about her opening up to him, that Javí enjoyed more than anything. But more importantly, now he knew that she wasn’t going anywhere and that they actually had a chance at a real relationship, he really didn’t want to mess things up. Eve had always felt as though she were about to slip through his fingers. “I’m guessing they’re the reason why I have to wear a tux tomorrow night.”

“Sorry about that.” Eve groaned against his chest. “I was just informed about that today, as well. My mother is going to be there, so my attendance is mandatory, too.”

“Oh. Well, misery loves company.” Javíer had just admitted that he wanted to be monogamous for the first time in years. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the whole ‘meeting the family’ aspect of exclusively dating someone, so he decided to take the cowardly way out and change the subject. “When I got back this afternoon, I thought that you had finally decided to take some time off. Where have you been all day?”

“Record Room.” Eve groaned into his chest again, making him chuckle above her. “That place is a disaster. I’ve been in there for hours and I’ve barely made a dent in it.” 

“Sounds like we both had a pretty shitty day.” Javí sighed before he kissed the top of her head and gestured for her to take a seat on his couch. 

“You have no idea.” Eve agreed with a giggle. 

“Drink?”

“Yes, please. My mother is in town, so make it a double.” Eve answered into his chest, but refused to let him go. Javí smiled above her again and let out a long sigh as he held her a little tighter. This woman really was going to be the death of him.

“My kind of woman. How are you feeling?” Javí asked as his hands caressed her back where he knew her attacker had left his mark on her. The thought of her being in pain all day made him clench his jaw.

“Please don’t start, Javí.” Eve complained, finally breaking free of the embrace that she had longed for all day. 

Javíer had the good sense to back off and went to pour themselves a drink while Eve got comfortable on the couch and kicked her heels off.

“Fun fact,” Eve began as Javíer handed her a glass of the expensive whiskey that she had bought for him earlier that day. “I always seem to take on whatever drink the man I’m seeing likes. I don’t think I’ve ever really had my own preference.” 

“You’re kidding.” Javíer barked out a loud laugh at the thought. “So what did the last guy drink?”

“Scotch.” Eve made a very unflattering face as she grimaced and Javí couldn’t help but sigh and admire her cuteness. “I dated a guy a few years back that drank White Russias. Those were pretty good, I guess. Dating vodka soda guy was tolerable...but unfortunately, he was not.”

“Weren’t you drinking wine the day before we met?” Javí asked as he took a seat next to her and brought her feet into his lap and began rubbing them the way he had promised to earlier.

“Good memory.” Eve smirked as she took a long sip of her drink and let the liquid burn down her throat and warm her. “Housewarming gift. My godfather picked it out. It was really good, though. Who knows, maybe red wine is my thing?”

“I like knowing what you like.” Javí hummed, not exactly referring to her preferred choice of beverage.

“Well, I like _you_.” Eve shamelessly flirted and was rewarded with the boyishly shy smile he only seemed to give to her. “So if you don’t mind me asking, if you weren’t sending Chris away because you were jealous, why did you change your mind about sending a team to Cali?” If she thought that Javíer was good with his lips, she was in for a treat because his strong hands massaging her feet were simply heaven. But Eve was still curious about his motives and wanted to know before he inevitably seduced her and she forgot to ask.

“Well, it turned out that you were right.” Javí admitted as he focused on his task and continued to massage up her legs.

“I usually am.” Eve smirked. Before she considered the consequences, Eve shifted on the couch and sat closer to him, her legs still draped over lap. “But what was I right about this time?”

Eve began to run her fingers through Javíer’s hair, playing with soft curls at the back of his neck. It was just so easy to be with this man, she mused to herself as she watched him lean into her touch. 

“The accident in Cali.” Javí sighed as he enjoyed her attention but hated the topic of conversation. “Turns out, an empty chlorine gas canister was found nearby.”

“That’s not what the news was saying.” Eve’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Colleen translated for me when she brought me lunch. Isn’t the gas company taking all responsibility?”

“You didn’t hear this from me, but I met with a reporter today. She had some inside information and wanted to know if the American DEA was going to do anything about it.” Javíer explained, his already deep voice dropping a few octaves and revealing all of the stress and worry he’d been carrying with him all day. When Javíer lowered his walls and let her in, he had Eve’s complete attention. “She was right, by the end of the day everything has been covered up. No one knows that Cali is responsible.”

“Lemme guess, Carolina Alverez?”

“Good guess.” Javí confirmed with a raised eyebrow, curious to know how Eve could possibly know of her.

“I saw her this afternoon outside of the embassy.” Eve confessed, amused with Javí’s dumbstruck reaction. “She’s really smart. Asked me all kinds of questions about the DEA.”

“What did you tell her?”

“Everything.” Eve teased with a straight face. “I totally cracked under the pressure. She’s doing a front page expose _‘Personal Secretary Tells All.’_ ” Eve mocked. “I gave her all of the juicy details of your coffee order.”

“Not funny.”

“It’s a little funny.” Eve smirked at him until he cracked a small reluctant smile and shook his head at her.“I told her that if she wants a statement, the embassy has a press department that could help her out.” Eve quipped as she leaned towards him and rubbed her nose against his.

“Good answer.” Javi praised before he kissed her temple twice,

“But I like her.” Eve volunteered as she played with his loosened tie. “We talked for a while, off the record, of course. But I nearly smacked her when she brought up the DEA’s past relationship with Los Pepes, though.”

“Jesus, Eve.” Javi groaned. “I don’t want you getting involved in this.”

“I didn’t get involved. “ Eve protested, but Javí gave her a look that conveyed that he didn’t believe her. “I do know how to speak to reporters, Javí. Or more importantly, how _not_ to speak to them. Just so you know, she did most of the talking. But I mean it, she’s really intelligent. She even gave me some tips on how to cover up these stupid marks on my neck. She was the only one that couldn’t be fooled by that big scarf. She spotted them right away.”

“Of course, you went and befriended a reporter looking to expose the Cali godfathers. What am I going to do with you.” Javí deeply sighed as he ran his hand down his face. “You trust her?”

“I trust her motives.” Eve considered after a moment. “I think she’s the real deal. I’d be really surprised if she was dirty. Is she why you changed your mind and sent Chris and Daniel to Cali?” 

“I guess you could say the cover up was the last straw.” Javí admitted, after he took a long sip of his whiskey. “After everything this weekend...seeing you in that alley and having that Cali sicario get away. Now kids are getting killed while they sleep in their beds and politicians are covering for the assholes responsible. There was a time when we were all on the same side...but now. What the fuck am I doing here, if I’m not doing my job? There was a time that Murphy and I would have already been neck deep in trying to take Cali down. But now I’m stuck behind this fucking desk. I feel useless.”

“You made the right call.” Eve affirmed in a soft voice. “You’re a good man, Javí.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Javí whispered, almost to himself. He was lost in his thoughts as he ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek and traced the outline of her jaw. He loved the way that she saw him and wished that he could be worthy of her praise. The truth was, hunting down the bad guys, was the only thing he really knew how to do. Maybe it was only a matter of time before he rocked the boat and went after the godfathers.

“I would.” Eve confirmed as she took his hand and linked their fingers together. “I’ve known enough bad men to know the difference.”

“If another war breaks out…” Javí’s voice was so quiet that she almost didn’t hear him and it broke Eve’s heart.

“Javí, people are already dying.” Eve squeezed his hand and rubbed her thumb along his. _“Children._ That whole town has been devastated by this. What if they do it again because they got away with it the first time?”

“But if another war breaks out... it’ll be on me.”

“No.” Eve snapped a little louder than she had intended. “Look at me.” Eve moved even closer to him and held his sad face in her hands to make sure that he was listening to her. “It’ll be on the Rodriguez brothers. You’re not responsible for their crimes. You’re the only one trying to stop them. You’re not useless.”

“Where in the world did you come from, Eve Capshaw.” Javí asked with a trace of awe in his voice. He’d lived such a guarded existence before Eve. Now it felt as though she could break down the walls that he had carefully crafted for years without even trying. He trusted her in a way that he had only ever trusted Murphy back in the day. How had she managed to become so important to him in such a short amount of time?

“Come on. Let’s go.” Eve insisted as she finished her drink as if she were doing a shot. Javí couldn’t help but puff out a small laugh as she shivered from the bite of the whiskey. “We’re going home.”

\--------------------------

Javíer had been under the impression that he and Eve had been on the same page and that _‘going home’_ was code for _‘going to bed.’_

Well, Javí had been half right. 

As soon as she opened her apartment door, Eve took his hand and led him into her bedroom. She had a plan and Javíer was more than willing to play along and find out what she was up to. 

Once she had lit a few candles on and removed her jacket, Eve went to work. Without words Eve began to slowly undress him, leaving gentle kisses and feather light touches in her wake that touched Javíer’s heart in a way that made his chest ache. 

“Lay down on your tummy.” Eve whispered against his cheek once he was standing in her bedroom in nothing but his boxers. 

“What do you have in mind, princesa?”

“I’m going to take care of you.” Eve informed him with a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Now do what you’re told.”

“Bossy, I kinda like it.” Javíer answered as he reached for her and left a soft kiss lingering on her lips. “You’re so beautiful, Eve. I don’t deserve any of this.”

“Shhh, you silly man.” Eve whispered before she kissed him one last time.

Javíer finally did as he was told and laid down on her bed for the first time ever. He rested his face against her pillow and found himself instantly comfortable. Her bedding felt softer than his own and had a faint girlie scent to it that reminded him of Eve. Even her mattress was of a higher quality than the one he had.

It wasn’t long before he felt Eve kneel onto the bed behind him, but he was already beginning to feel the stress of the day leaving his tired body as he waited for her. 

“Just breathe, Javí.” Eve ordered in a soothing voice. “Clear your mind.”

“Oh no, this isn’t some hippy meditation shit, is it?” Javí groaned from her pillow.

“I’m going to rub your back, asshole.” Eve laughed behind him and playfully smacked his ass. “Don’t be a jerk. Let me do something nice for you.”

Javíer chuckled to himself and got a little bit more comfortable in her bed. He turned his head to the side and finally got a glimpse of Eve’s coveted mugshot. The one she had framed after protesting for gay rights. She looked a lot younger, but it was definitely her. He couldn’t help but admire the unashamed badass look in her eye. What was he getting himself into? Maybe he had finally met his match because he had a feeling that Eve was capable of eating him alive. if he was being honest with himself, that only made him want her more.

Eve went to work and straddled the back of his thighs as she rubbed some oil between her hands to warm it up. But when she began to rub Javí’s shoulders, she frowned when she found knots everywhere. 

“You poor thing, baby.” Eve softly uttered under her breath, leaning down to leave a kiss behind his ear. “Just close your eyes.”

“You’re really good at this.” Javier groaned beneath her.

“You deserve good things, Javi.” Eve insisted as she spread some more oil on his back and smiled to herself when he moaned in delight.

Eve had no idea how much time passed as she dutifully worked out all of his knots. He laid still for her and let her work, letting out the odd grunt or sigh until she was pretty sure that he had passed out. 

As Eve snuck away to wash her hands and change into her pajamas, she started to wonder if Javí was as touch starved as she was. Having an active sex life was no guarentee that a another person would take their time and get to know your body in an intimate but non sexual way. One of her favourite things about him was how he always found a way to touch her ever since they started sleeping together. Even if it was just having their hands brush up against each other as they walked. Javier’s touch was beginning to mean more and more to her every day. Eve was drawn to Javi like a moth to a flame. Why was she putting herself in a position where another man could hurt her. 

But as Eve watched him sleep peacefully in her bed, she was honoured that Javíer would let her care for him. And that he felt safe enough with her to sleep in her bed. Afterall, in the short time that Eve had known the man, Javier had never failed to do the same for her. 

Eve blew out the candles and crawled into bed next to him, but not before taking an extra blanket from the foot of her bed and tucking him in. Javí looked so young while he slept, it was almost as if all of the stress from his job had yet to take its toll on him. Eve couldn’t help but brush some of his hair off his forehead and watch him sleep until she got tired herself.

Her family wasn’t going to go anywhere near him, Eve vowed to herself as she began to feel her eyes getting heavier. She was going to tell Javier the truth about her past, Eve decided. No more hiding. It was a long shot, but it was the only way she could possibly hope to keep him. 


	12. Midnight Fun *NSFW*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javi wakes up in Eve's bed.

Javí began to stir from a peaceful sleep when he heard a soft whimper call out into the dark. For a moment, he was so relaxed that his sleepy mind thought that he had accidentally fallen asleep at a brothel. The sheets were so incredibly soft and the bed far more plush than he was used to. It was as if he were cocooned inside a warm cloud. 

He was about to be lulled back to sleep when he heard the sound again. It was fairly easy to ignore the whimper until it was followed by a sob that was sharp enough to cut through his peaceful slumber and cause the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. 

“Eve?” Javí whispered once he had gathered his bearings enough to realize where he was. The last thing he remembered was the mind blowing massage that Eve had insisted on giving him after work. It took him a second to realize that it was now it was the middle of the night and he was still in her bed. “Shhh, baby. Wake up. It’s okay.”

 _“No.”_ Eve mumbled over and over again in her sleep, her beautiful face contorted in pain as her head began to thrash from side to side on her pillow. 

“Eve, wake up.” Javí sat up on his arm and looked down on her as she struggled in her sleep. She looked so afraid and his gentle coaxing had failed to wake her. In fact, his efforts appeared to be making whatever she was dreaming about more intense and that was the last thing that he wanted.

 _“Stop.”_ Eve let out a choked sob in her sleep. She sounded like a scared little girl and it made Javí wince as if he could feel her pain along with her. _“NO! Let me go!”_

It didn’t take a genius to realize that she was having a nightmare about her attacker. Javíer couldn’t stand to watch her struggle for a second longer and decided to grab her shoulders and shake her more forcefully. Little did he know, the loud gasp she made as she came to would forever be tattooed in his memory; it was just so raw and vulnerable. Javíer would move heaven and earth to make sure that she never made that noise again. 

“Just a dream, Eve.” Javíer tried to keep his voice low and steady in the hopes of calming her as she panted and tried to regain her bearings. Her big blue eyes were wild as she searched the dark room for answers. “You’re safe, baby.”

“Javí?” Eve whimpered his name once she realized that he was really there with her and she wasn’t imagining his presence. Without even thinking, Eve reached out for him and wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his bare chest. Feeling his arms wrap around her was the most comforting thing she had felt in a very long time. “You keep saving me. I should get you a cape.”

“I got you.” Javí promised with a small smile as he held her and smoothed out her hair. Javí didn’t know what to do in a situation like this. But he followed his instincts and kissed the top of her head twice and held her tighter than was probably comfortable for her. It killed him that he could feel how fast her heart was beating against his chest. He wished that he was skilled enough to fix this for her, but these messy emotional encounters with women that he was intimate with were pretty much foreign to him. But everything in him was telling him to be there for her and comfort her for as long as it took.

“I’m sorry.” Eve pulled away and quickly tried to wipe her tears, only to have more and more quickly replace them. 

Now that she was fully awake, Eve’s first impulse was to run and hide. She wanted to pretend that nothing had happened in the hopes that she could fool Javí into believing that she was fine. But after she checked her alarm clock and noticed that it was only 3am. It was far too early to get up with the guise of starting her day to put some distance between them. 

Eve just couldn’t catch a break and was embarrassed to have Javíer see her like this. How many times could she cry in front of this man without him thinking that she was nuts.

“I’m sorry, I woke you up.” Eve cleared her throat and took a deep breath in the hopes of making her voice sound less pathetic. “You can go back to sleep”

“Don’t apologize.” Javí whispered with concern. It was hard for him to know what to do. The two of them were just getting to know each other but he knew enough about her to know that she hated being vulnerable. To add insult to injury, the room was far too dark for Javí to really read her face to know if she was truly okay or not. Eve always played her cards closer to the vest than he did. “Come back here.”

“I’m not usually such a basket case.” Eve tried to make light of her outburst, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment. Javí sighed as he cupped the side of her head in the palm of his hand and guided her to rest her head on his shoulder again. “You’ve seen me cry twice now. Not the sexiest move I’ve ever made. My game is usually a lot stronger than this.”

“I have no doubt. But I gotta say, your game is still pretty impressive.” Javí softly chuckled as he played with her soft hair. “But you don’t have to pretend with me, remember?” Javíer reminded her before he kissed her temple. Smiling in the dark as she ran her foot over his and tangled their legs together under the covers. Under different circumstances, Javí would have considered this moment as close as he’d ever get to heaven.

“Trust me, I’m not pretending.” Eve puffed out a small self deprecating laugh. “I just don’t want to scare you off. I wasn’t exactly raised to be the sharing type, if you know what I mean.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Javíer promised. “Did you want to talk about your dream?”

“It’s just the same thing over and over again.” Eve found herself confessing to the ceiling to avoid looking at him. She knew she’d start bawling again if she found pity lurking behind his kind brown eyes. “I never really see his face but I know it’s always the same man. Only this time he’s three times the size. As if the real thing wasn’t terrifying enough, my brain goes and ups the ante to freak me out more. He grabs me by the back of my neck again and I can’t stop him...and, well, I end up feeling helpless and scared all over again.”

“You’re safe, baby.” Javíer promised as he held her close. “I won’t let anything hurt you.”

“I believe you.” Eve smiled against his chest. Javíer never failed to make her feel safe and protected. She felt so indebted to him and wished that she could make him feel the same way. “Sometimes, I...nevermind.”

“Sometimes, what?” Javí encouraged her to continue sharing as he gently ran his fingers up and down her arm.

“Sometimes I can still feel his hand on the back of my neck.” Eve whispered as if she had been keeping a dark secret from him. “But not when I’m sleeping. I’ll be in the break room or playing with Feistl’s little girl, Molly. And it feels like he’s grabbing me all over again. It’s so fucking annoying.” Eve bitterly cursed as she fought back another sob. “Why can’t I just shake it off? I shouldn’t feel this way. I mean, you got to me before he...before he…” 

Eve’s voice trailed off and Javíer clenched his jaw and held her closer to him. He’ll never forgive himself for not killing the bastard when he had the chance. What he wouldn’t give to find the fucker responsible for all of this and make sure that he never touched another woman again. 

There were so many reasons that Javier wanted to take down the Cali godfathers. But possibly finding the sicario responsible for hurting Eve, was just icing on the cake. 

If he wasn’t so enraged with that thug, Javí would have found it concerning how far he was willing to go to protect her.

“He didn’t rape you. But he still hurt you.” Javí managed to push down his rage so he could answer her in a soft measured voice. He hated how hard she was being on herself and didn’t want her to know how angry he was with the situation. “It was traumatic. That kind of thing can stay with you.”

“So I’m just...just _broken_ , then?” Eve huffed in defeat.

“No, baby.” Javíer quickly countered, hoping to silence Eve’s self hating thoughts. He’d been very familiar with those feelings himself and wanted to save her from going through something similar. “There’s nothing wrong with you. All of this is normal.”

“Does it stay with you?”

“Does what?” Javí quietly asked as he started playing with her hair again.

“You’ve been in Columbia for so many years, Javí.” Eve considered as she drew small figure eights on his chest with her fingertip. “I read your files. And Murphy’s. What I went through is peanuts compared to all of the trauma and death you’ve seen...I’m sorry.” Eve abruptly stopped when she could feel him tense up beneath her. “I’m really sorry. You’re being so great to me and I’m being insensitive.”

“No.” Javí sighed as he ran his hand down his face and pondered her question. Of course all of this dark bullshit has stayed with him, but other than his father, Eve had been the only person to notice or even care. “You’re not. In fact, you’re one of the few people in my life that actually seems to give a shit.”

“You can talk to me about it.” Eve offered as she rested her chin on his chest and gave him a small smile that completely blew Javíer away. Here he was trying to help her, and Eve was turning the tables on him and putting him first. Her heart was just so strong and pure. No good for nothing sicario could ever take that away from her. Javíer wished he could truly deserve a woman like her. “I’m a pretty decent listener when I’m not bawling my eyes out like a big baby.”

“You’re the one that's having nightmares, princesa.” Javíer reminded her as he captured her lips between his, igniting a small spark inside her but parting far too soon for Eve’s liking. “Maybe one day I will.” Javíer considered as his lips brushed up against hers as he spoke. “I just don’t want to scare you away, either.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry your pretty little head about that, Javí.” Eve smiled as Javí playfully rolled his eyes at her. “Because I don’t scare that easily.”

“No..no I don’t think you do.” Javí softly chuckled as he brushed some of her hair away from her face and let his fingers dance down her cheek. “You’re so beautiful. I wish I could make all of this go away for you. You deserve good things, too, Eve.”

“You’re the only _good thing_ that I seem to want nowadays, Javíer.” Eve shamelessly flirted while she studied his eyes in the dark. 

Eve licked her lips as her gaze fell to Javíer’s perfect mouth. He continued to caress her cheek and study her features at a lazy pace. His gentle and loving attention unknowingly stoking that small spark into a blazing fire within her. 

“I want you, Javí.” Eve practically purred as she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his throat, letting her tongue quickly dart out and taste his skin. Smiling to herself when that small move made him groan; it was music to her ears.

“Now? Are you sure?” As much as Javíer always wanted her, the thought of taking advantage of her was abhorrent to him. There was something about Eve that made it easy to put her first and take care of her. She mattered to him and Javíer really didn’t want to mess up and lose her.

“Yes. I always want you. But right now, I wanna forget and just feel something, Javí.” Eve practically begged him while she ran her fingers through his hair and let her nails scrap along his scalp. “Feel something _good.”_

Javí studied her eyes and felt the weight of her request hit him so hard that he was grateful he was already laying down. It was almost as if they were speaking a language that only the two of them could understand. Javí realized that he had never felt closer to her than he did in that moment. Closer to anyone, really. 

After all, how many times had Javíer entered a brothel feeling broken and lonely; looking for the very same thing that Eve was asking him for. So many times he’d been in search of a human connection that could help forget about the day to day horrors he’d witnessed during the Columbian drug war. To make him feel human - make him feel anything, really. 

To this day, Javí was grateful to the women that helped him when he felt lost and was reaching out for a way to cope. Granted, most were nothing more than informants. But the rare few had given him a connection, if only for a few hours, that ended up saving him from losing all faith in humanity. Now Eve served as that connection for him and she managed to fulfill him in a way that was realer then anything he had felt before. 

Javíer kissed her forehead and marvelled at how life had a way of coming full circle. Because of his unsavoury past, Javíer was very intune to her needs and could help Eve cope the way he’d paid women to help him cope in the past. As much as he hated seeing Eve upset, Javíer was thrilled at the opportunity to help her. In a way, he felt honoured that she would turn to him for this. 

This was something he could do - _and do well._

“Do I make you feel good, baby?” Javí asked in a low voice as he pulled her blanket away from her and ran his hand down her side until he rested it on her hip. He gave it a rough squeeze and watched her respond to him by grinding her hips down on the bed with a small moan escaping from the back of her throat. She was always so responsive to him.

“You know you do.” Eve whispered back with her heart starting to thump faster in her chest. 

“Jesus, Eve. How I’m a supposed to fuck you when you’re wearing pyjamas with little stars all over them?” Javíer complained, making Eve crack up and howl with laughter. “Wait. Don’t tell me they glow in the dark. Are you twelve?”

“Don’t diss my pjs!” Eve giggled while at the same time swiftly peeling off her tank top. She tossed the offending item somewhere on the floor while Javí peeled her matching pyjama shorts down her legs and threw them in the same direction.

 _“Thaaaaat’s better.”_ Javí playfully cooed as he positioned himself so that he could hover on top of her; taking her wrists and placing them above her head and holding them there in one of his large hands. “Hermosa.”

He wasn’t exactly sure of her boundaries, so took a moment to search her eyes for any signs of concern. When he didn’t find any, Javí let out a small groan and committed to memory the sight of her beneath him.

“I must have been a saint in another life.” Javí uttered under his breath.

With great patience, Javí placed a soft lingering kiss on her forehead. Eve in turn, did her best to ignore how that sweet loving act made her feel. In so many ways, Javíer was unknowingly healing broken parts of her heart without even trying. He was so precious to her, but she couldn’t let herself fall in love with him - she had to protect them.

Eve watched him admire her naked body beneath him and had never felt more exposed and vulnerable. Eve searched her heart and found that she wasn’t nervous or scared of what he might do to her. In fact, she was excited. Her blood was rushing through her veins and she felt so alive.

Javíer slowly rubbed his nose against hers and tried not to laugh when she impatiently managed to lean her body up enough to kiss him. _So much for teasing,_ Javí thought to himself when he found himself in the middle of a frantic messy kiss that took his breath away.

He loved how Eve could push his boundaries and take control every now and again. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so willing to relinquish his power in bed before. But with her, Javí could just trust and enjoy the ride. Besides, he had a feeling that Eve would always make it worth it.

Javí savoured the taste of her tongue in his mouth and could have kissed her forever. But soon, Eve had wigged out of his grasp and had begun to palm his hard cock through his boxers and he just had to make her come.

“But I want you. Please, baby.” Eve pouted when Javí pulled away. She snaked her hand around to the back of his neck to pull him back to her lips, only to have him bring his passionate attention to her breasts instead. Licking, sucking, and pulling her nipples between his lips. Her loud moans just spurred him on and he was sure that he had gotten carried away and left his mark on her.

“One of these days, I’m gunna fuck these perfect tits, cariño.” Javí vowed with a certainty that made Eve even wetter.

“Promises, promises.” Eve breathlessly giggled while she ran her fingers through his hair. Messing it up just the way she liked. He rested his chin between her breasts and gave her a wickedly playful grin while he continued to squeeze and fondle her. He looked ten years younger, she mused with a smile. She found it hard to believe that it was her that could make him so happy. _“Car-reen-oh.”_ Eve slowly tried to pronounce while he puffed out a small laugh at her efforts.

“You’re adorable. But your Spanish isn’t getting any better.” Javí teased.

“I’m trying.” Eve whined and giggled at the same time. Making his chin bounce on her chest. “Does it bother you that I’m terrible?”

 _“No hay nada terrible en ti.”_ Javíer softly stated between nibbles and kisses to each of her breasts. “There is nothing terrible about you.” 

Javíer slowly made his way between her legs, caressing her body as he made his way down. Her skin was as soft as silk, and Javíer was already rock hard. He didn’t want to take one second with her for granted. “Convince me, Eve. Convince me that I make you feel good.”

“Oh, Javí.” Eve hummed. How could she make him understand just how much he meant to her without sharing too much. “I don’t know what it is about you, Peña, but you have me breaking all of the rules that I’ve lived by for years. You’ve turned me into the silly cliche of the secretary sleeping with her boss. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

“You make it sound like a bad thing.” Javíer sat on his knees and took her leg and placed the back of her heel on his shoulder. He delighted in the little shivers he gave her as he ghosted his fingertips up and down her leg and left wet open mouth kisses along her calf. 

“The jury is still out on whether or not it’s a bad thing or not.” Eve snickered as she rubbed her other leg against his hip. He’d barely touched her yet, and she was already embarrassingly wet. But Javí stopped kissing her leg and looked at her, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. “But for the time being...I like it. _I really like it._ Being with you is fun.”

“Fun?” Javí playfully scoffed at her answer as he made himself at home between her legs and placed her other thigh over his shoulder.

“So much fun, Javí.” Eve beamed down at him with a wink as he kissed the inside of her thighs - tickling her with his moustache just to watch her squirm. “For as complicated as all of this can be between us, being with you is _so easy._ I never saw you coming, but you’re exactly what I needed.”

“What else do you need, baby?” Javíer asked with a hum, making sure that she could feel his breath against her pussy. “You’re practically dripping, _cariño.”_ Javíer made sure his accent was extra thick, to mess with her. “Is this all because of me?”

“Yes, baby.” Eve hissed as she tried to raise her hips. “All of it. Take what’s yours, Javí.”

Her words caused something to snap deep inside of him. “I’ll show you _fun.”_ Javi menacingly growled before he dove for her pussy. Pushing his face past her slick folds and burying his greedy tongue inside her as far as he could. Humming and moaning into her as he enthusiastically lapped up her juices.

The sensation was almost too much for her, but Javíer placed his arm over her stomach to keep her still while he ate her with abandon. 

“Oh, shit.” Eve moaned as she tried to watch him work. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.”

“You’ll have all night to get used to it, princesa.” Javíer vowed, his lips and chin glistening with her evidence of her arousal. “Don’t be shy, Eve. I want to hear you.”

The rest of the night Javí kept his word. He made her forget all of her troubles as he made her come over and over again. At least twice with his mouth and once more with his skilled fingers. They created their own little world. Eve hadn’t been thinking about anything other than the way Javíer made her feel, and that was exactly his goal. 

Eve had thought she’d had an active sex life before, but this was the kind of marathon that Eve had never experienced. Javíer was taking care of her in a way that made her want to cry as orgasm after orgasm ripped through her. 

They were both amazed at how easily they played off each other and managed to find their own rhythm. They were so well matched as they enjoyed each other and explored their passion. But when Javí had fucked her with his fingers, he worried for a moment that he might have been too rough. But Eve impressed him by begging for more and more. When he obliged her and finally made her come, she surprised them both by gushing all over him. 

Javíer nearly doubled over with pride when she shared with him (as she hid her face behind her hands) that she’d never done that before. He wouldn’t allow her to remain embarrassed and promised her that, to him, it was sexiest thing in the world - a badge of honour even. Studying her body was becoming more and more satisfying than he had ever imagined.

Little did they know, they were both experiencing the kind of intimacy that they had both craved for as long as they could remember. As sweaty and exhausting as it was, it was almost as if they were finding a home in each other and it was a powerful feeling. But true to form, they were both too stubborn to admit to themselves what it all meant.

It was nearly dawn by the time that Javíer finally climbed on top of her, slowly sinking his cock into her warm cunt. 

“Oh, Javí.” Eve hummed as he slowly rocked his hips into her. She was a trembling mess at this point, but she still managed to find the strength to wrap her leg around his hip - causing him to slide even deeper. He managed to reach places inside of her that she didn’t even know were possible. 

“Does that feel good, baby?” Javíer hummed against her skin as he licked along her collarbone. pulling out just far enough that only the tip of his cock remained.

“Yes.” Eve pleaded just in time for him to snap his hips and push back inside her. “So good, Javí. You give me exactly what I need.”

“Oh, fuck.” Javíer cursed as her words caused him to pick up the pace. “I love the pretty way you say my name when I fuck you.”

“I want you to come, Javí.” Eve panted as he pounded her into the mattress grunting with every single solid thrust of his hips. “Please, Javíer. You’ve been so good to me. I wanna feel you come.”

“You’re so fucking wet.” Javí praised against her ear through his rugged breaths. “So perfect. I almost came eating your sweet pussy. Did you know that? I was so god damn close.”

“Fuck, baby.” Eve groaned, he was going to make her come again with his voice alone. 

“I love making you come.” Javí confessed as his pace began to falter. “When you squirted on my fingers - I’ve never been so hard before. You drive me crazy.”

“Javí, I think you’re gunna make me come again.” Eve called out as he continued to ruthlessly hit that sweet spot within her with his cock. She’d never been afraid of coming before, but she held onto his back for dear life. Desperate to hold him closer to her.

“I can feel you squeezing my cock.” Javíer taunted as her walls began to flutter around him. Her eyes were squeezed tight but Javí grabbed her chin and made her look at him. “That’s it, hermosa. You take me so well, Eve. You gunna come for me again? Do it. I wanna to feel it. Do it for me, princesa. Come for me.”

It was useless for Eve to try and ignore Javíer’s command. His words made the hot coil in her belly snap and all Eve could hear was her heartbeat rushing in her ears as she came. She didn’t think that the strangled moan that came out of her was the sexiest sound in the world, but Javíer sure as hell did. Feeling and hearing her pleasure was enough to send him over the edge. It took a few more thrusts for Javíer to lose control and come loudly; grunting something that sounded like yes, her name and something in spanish that Eve didn’t understand.

But Javíer wasn’t content to just pull out, roll over, and lite himself a cigarette. Like a man on a mission, he crawled backwards down her body and pressed both of her thighs up against her belly and admired his come already leaking from her. 

“Hermosa.” He whispered in awe.

“I feel like a puddle of jello.” Eve giggled up to the ceiling with a deep sigh; feeling content and well fucked.

“One more.”

“What?” Eve questioned as she tried to sit up on her elbows. He couldn’t be serious. 

But instead of answering her, Javíer began to drag his tongue against her sensitive clit. Dipping his tongue lower to taste the two of them together. 

Eve began to pant loudly as she watched him; her mouth hung open in awe. He swirled his tongue around her clit at just the right angle and she nearly screamed. Their eyes met and Eve unabashedly grabbed the back of his head and urged him to keep going. Soon she couldn’t take all of the sensations that he was pulling from her and her head fell back while she moaned his name over and over. She sounded like she was begging, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to stop or keep going. It was almost too much. 

After the night they had spent together, Javíer knew just how to make her come when he pushed two of his thick fingers inside her and sucked on her clit _\- hard -_ Eve could have sworn that she saw stars behind her eyes as she came against Javí’s face.

“No more, baby.” Eve breathlessly mumbled as she came down from her high, sweat beading down her chest. “Shower, sheets, sleep...”

“Smoke.” Javí added with a grin, making them both giggle and laugh. Neither of them were in any condition to complete full sentences but Javíer just couldn’t resist praising her just one last time before they cleaned themselves up and got some sleep. 

“You were right again, princesa.” Javíer grinned as he crawled back up her body and rubbed his nose against hers and pressed their foreheads together. Their lips were close but not touching and they both took a second to calm down and share the same breath. Javíer was simply blown away by her and what she could make him feel. If he wasn’t careful, Eve Capshaw could easily become the love of his life. “This _was_ fun.”


	13. Wake Up Call

As Javí woke early that morning, he reached out for Eve but felt nothing but the coolness of her sheets beside him. He rolled over on his back and groaned as he felt the results of the night’s activities in his sore and tired muscles. If he was going to keep dating a woman like Eve, he was going to need to give up smoking or start working out. Pleasuring that woman had really taken a lot out of him. In Eve, Javi really had met his match. But having said that, he had thoroughly enjoyed every single second with her.

Maybe it was the generous role he took on last night, but even his best nights visiting brothels back in the day weren’t as memorable as giving Eve what she needed. But as tired as he was, Javíer found himself disappointed that his girl wasn’t there for another round in the morning before work. 

_His girl._ Man, he had it bad. Javí hadn’t felt this way since he was a teenager back in Texas. He found himself filled with hope on that bright and sunny morning. Even though it was a new foreign feeling, Javi was quickly becoming addicted to it.

Memories of their late night shower flooded his memory. Him and Eve had simply taken turns washing each other’s bodies. Javi had even tried his hand at washing Eve’s hair after she had lovingly done the same for him. Then they had held each other under the spray of the shower in a peaceful silence until they ran out of hot water. It was so easy and in a lot of ways, their shower had been even more intimate than the amazing sex they had. It was a memory that Javi wished he could hold on to forever. He never wanted to forget a single second of the whole night and how it made him feel. 

As he laid there in her bed alone, Javier wondered to himself if that was what love was supposed to feel like. Maybe it was the closest that he would ever get to the real thing. Damn, it really did feel as good as people said it would feel. 

Instead of getting up to find her, Javí grabbed her pillow and buried his face in it to hide his cheesy grin. He’d never get his fill of that woman, he mused. How the hell was going to stop touching her at work? It was as if his body craved her in a way that he couldn’t control. He was curious if he had the same effect on her - he really hoped so.

 _Sleepovers are for boyfriends,_ Javíer recalled what Eve had once said to him. 

Was he really seriously dating someone, Javíer considered as the bright Columbian sun shone in through Eve's bedroom window. What would Murphy think if he could see him now? Chasing after some hard to get Senator's daughter and not forgetting all about her the morning after. If anything, Javíer was more obsessed with her now than he’d ever been. 

Steve probably would have a good time laughing at him for getting in so deep. Murphy had always implied that this day would come, but Javíer had shrugged off all of his old partner’s teasing for years. Murphy loved ribbing him for not settling down and defended the married life to him every chance he got. Javí got shit for being a perpetual bachelor from a lot of people, actually. Some even took bets on him ending up with a retired prostitute one day when he was old and grey. If he even made it to a ripe old age, that is.

Could him and Eve even make it for the long haul? Javier asked himself as he rubbed his face and tried to wake up. She made him laugh and brought out sides of him that he was proud of. But how could they work when they came from completely different worlds.

But Javí remembered how Steve had opened up to him one night during a long stake out. He had confessed that when he had met his wife, Connie, she simply _‘had him.’_ and there was nothing he could do to stop it. _‘Some people just fit. It doesn’t need to make sense.’_ Javí could hear his old partner in his head explaining to him once again. Javí almost wanted to pick up the phone and tell Murphy that he was right. Try as he might to downplay it, Javí was on the verge of that becoming his fate, as well. 

Because Eve really did ‘fit’ him. They were opposites in so many ways. But that just made it more fun. Damn, how cool would it be to introduce Eve to Murphy one day. The thought alone was enough to make Javíer bite down on his bottom lip. Just thinking about the future with Eve in it, made him so fucking happy.

But Javíer could almost see Murphy’s worried expression in his head once he told him what he’d been up to lately. Putting his career on the line just to get into his secretary’s panties? Steve would have pulled him aside and smacked him upside the head by now. But back then, Murphy would have probably been right. Something would have probably distracted him and he would have messed things up with Eve by now. But the man that Murphy used to know so well, felt like a stranger to Javí. 

In so many ways Javí felt like a different man. First the promotion, and all of the leadership responsibilities that came with it. Then his attempts to quit smoking and better himself. Even confronting Lorraine in Texas and taking responsibility for leaving her at the altar, had him feeling as though he was evolving. These last few months felt so surreal. But never in a million years did he think that he’d come so far that he could have a real honest to goodness relationship with someone - let alone fight so hard for one. At his age? But being called a _boyfriend_ felt so silly and juvenile. Especially with a woman like Eve. She deserved so much more than someone just playing around.

Javíer laid in her bed missing her, but listened to her putter around in her kitchen. Apparently she was fielding phone calls from a few very stupid (yet well meaning) friends that were worried that there was going to be some kind of gas leak in her building. It was amusing to hear Eve tease them about their poor geography skills and remind them that she was in Bogotá and not Cali.

That only reminded Javíer that he had sent Feistl and Van Ness to Cali against the wishes of the Columbian authorities. Soon, Javíer could feel that familiar dread stretch across his chest and he began to doubt everything he believed to be true. It was a self hating spiral that he was very familiar with. But he couldn’t stop himself from falling down it, even if he tried.

How much had he really changed? Here he was rocking the boat and breaking the rules again. Sure, it wasn’t as bad as when he had worked with Burna, Judy and Los Pepes to take down Escobar, but his recent actions had proved that he hadn’t really changed all that much. 

Javíer let the bitter reality twist in his gut as he smelled the coffee that Eve was making in the other room. Here he was, a breath away from falling in love for the first time in years, and had nothing but recklessness to offer her. All of the reasons that he had for not getting romantically involved with someone all those years ago when Murphy was his partner, were still true today. Sure, he wasn’t sleeping with informants anymore. But he’d be lying to himself if anyone or anything could ever come before his job. Ending the cartels would always mean more to him and that was no way to treat someone you wanted to share your life with. 

Javí was self aware enough to realize that locking up Escobar had been an obsession for him. An obsession that cost him so much. But in the end it had been worth it to stop him. There had been no room in his life for anything else. Steve had almost lost Connie and his daughter because he had shared the same mindset.

Only time would tell if putting away the Cali godfathers would end up as another bloodthirsty obsession for him, too. Maybe he’d never be proper boyfriend material. Eve deserved a better man; he was only going to end up hurting her. He wanted the very best for her; and the best would never be someone like him. Maybe letting her go would be the most loving thing that he could do.

It was possible that Eve had always known the truth about him and that’s why she had been so hesitant to start a relationship with him in the first place. For as silly and adorable as she could be, Eve was sharply intelligent. Even now, she refused to go public and be seen together as a couple. _That should make the stupid embassy event they had to attend that night pretty interesting,_ he groaned to himself in her bedroom. 

But even though Eve had tried to keep him at arm's length, that hadn’t stopped him from foolishly pushing for _more_ lately. Javíer wanted her all to himself without considering the consequences. Maybe that’s why she had given him that mind blowing massage the night before. It could have been her way of trying to pacify him instead of sleeping with him again. But then she had her nightmare, and was only looking to him for a distraction. 

Maybe she already wanted out and he was just delaying the inevitable?

Javíer laid there in her bed and let go of her pillow. He had convinced himself that the connection he had felt when they made love was only one sided. Eve had been right about them from the start. Soon he began to feel like a jackass for getting in over his head. He could care about her all he wanted; nothing good could come of it. Eve would never love him the way he wanted her to and that was probably the best thing for both of them.

“Coffee?” Eve announced as she strolled back into her bedroom with two colourful coffee mugs in her hands. Wearing nothing but his white button down shirt and a pair of tiny black lace panties. Having no idea that Javíer’s mind had been running a mile a minute while she was gone.

“I’m gunna need that back.” Javíer warned as he sat up and took the coffee she offered him.

“Bummer.” Eve winked as she placed her coffee down on the nightstand and peeled off his shirt in one fluid motion and tossed it on the bed. Revealing that she had nothing on underneath.

Instead of taking advantage of her flirting, Javíer reached down to the floor and handed her the shirt with the little glow in the dark stars that she had discarded earlier that night to cover herself up with. Trying his hardest not to focus on the few marks that he had left on her skin that night. They were only a reminder of how strong their connection was and how badly he wanted her.

“Okay?” Eve slowly answered as she tried to figure out what his problem was. “Usually my boobs get a better reaction. Is everything okay?”

“I think that maybe we should talk…”

“Oh boy, this can’t be good.” Eve sang out as she turned her back and quickly dressed. “I’ve used that line too many times myself. Spill it, Javí.”

“Maybe we’re not on the same page.” Javíer started but he just couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eye when she turned to face him. So instead, he stared at his coffee in his hands and cleared his throat like a coward. “Maybe we should go back to being friends and colleagues. It shouldn’t be a problem. I can stay out of your way at work. There’d be hard feelings.”

“I leave you alone for ten fucking minutes.” Eve muttered under her breath. “We were never really friends, Javíer.” Eve pointed out as dryly as she could. She should have known that something like this was going to happen. She didn’t deserve to have something so perfect, but she still hadn’t been prepared for him to pull away from her so quickly. “I’ve wanted to fuck you since I knocked your coffee mug out of your hands, remember.”

“Jesus.” Javí sighed while he ran his hand down his face and tried to think of what to say next. Eve was right, he had wanted her ever since he laid eyes on her, too. Their connection was there right from the start. How could he make her understand that he didn’t want her to get too invested in a man that would never be able to put her first. Because if the way he was feeling last night was any indication, they were developing feelings for each other that could easily get out of hand. In reality, he was just terrified of hurting her now that he cared about her so much.

“Where is this coming from, Javí?” Eve earnestly asked as she sat down on the bed next to him and breathed a small sigh of relief when he let her take his hand and play with his fingers. “Last night...I mean, last night was good, right?”

“Of course it was.” Javí found that he couldn’t lie to her even if he wanted to.

“You’re more than just a guy I fuck.” Eve blurted out without realizing how needy she sounded. “I know I’ve given you so many mixed signals...but...where is all this coming from, Javí?”

“The massage last night after work.” Javíer decided to call her out with a cold edge in his voice, taking his hand away. Maybe if he made her the bad guy then he’d stop feeling like shit. “I made a move on you at work. I knew you’d hate it, but I did it anyway. You were deflecting, weren’t you?”

“Deflecting?”

“Were you trying to avoid fucking me again?” Javíer accused her. But as the words left his mouth he couldn’t seem to convince himself, let alone Eve.

“And how did that turn out?” Eve sarcastically shot back and Javíer wasn’t sure whether to laugh or storm out. “If I were avoiding you, Agent Peña, you wouldn’t be in my bed right now. I’m more than capable of kicking you out if I didn't want you here.” Eve sighed and shook her head at how silly he was being. “I was trying to do something nice. It wasn’t a trick, you big dummy. You really don’t have to do this, it’s okay.”

“Do what?”

“If you’re having second thoughts about us…second thoughts about me.” Eve couldn’t believe that this was happening. “I mean...It’s fine. I should be grateful that you’re telling me now before I fell in love with you or something.”

Eve's words seemed to cut right through him and made Javí physically wince. What the fuck was he doing. He should be holding on to her both hands, not toying with the notion of ending things.

“Were you?” Javíer found himself asking out loud, desperate to hear her answer. “Were you about to fall in love with me?”

“I want to.” Eve whispered before she considered the consequences. “But there’s still so much you don’t know about me. But if you’re just gunna bail, then what’s the point?”

“I just don’t think that I can be the kind of man that you need.”

“Don’t tell me what I need.” Eve ordered through her teeth. Her sudden anger made him sit up a little straighter. Other than their lively debates about money laundering and cartels, Eve had never raised her voice to him like that. “Everyone thinks that they know what’s best for me. It makes me want to scream. I go along with their nonsense and it just ends up making me miserable. Fuck it!” Eve’s anger made her braver and she decided to just lay her feelings out on the table. “I’m not gunna lie to you, Javí, I care about you. There I said it! I care about you more than I probably should since you seem to be trying to break things off the second you catch some feelings.”

“Eve.”

“I’m not finished.” Eve snapped, but dropped her shoulders and chewed on her bottom lip before she tried to more calmly finish her thought. But the emotion in her voice was impossible to hide as her voice cracked. “You make me feel like I’m not just going through the motions anymore...you...you give me hope that I can have something _real_ in my life...and that’s really all I ever wanted.” Eve stopped and looked away. She sounded so pathetic. She should have said all these things to him a long time ago, not when he was getting ready to dump her. “Look, if you wanna leave, you can leave. No hard feelings, right? I’m not going to beg you to stay, I’m not built that way… fuck, I sound so stupid.”

“No, you don’t sound stupid.” In fact, this was all that Javíer had wanted to hear from her since she kissed him that day in his apartment after her salsa lesson. “Trust me, you make me feel that way, too. I just don’t want to hurt you. I don’t know if I can live with that.”

“Then don’t.”

“What?” Javí exasperatedly sighed out.

“Don’t hurt me.” Eve challenged.

“You make it sound so simple.” Javíer groaned as he looked away and smoothed out his moustache. Maybe it was as simple as she made it sound; what the hell did he know?

“Maybe because it is.” Eve insisted with a small laugh. If he only knew how many times she had been deliberately hurt by the people in her life. The fact that Javíer didn’t want to hurt her, meant everything. “I’m terrible at this kinda thing, Javí. Maybe this is for the best. I told you before, I’m a shitty girlfriend.”

“Why would you say that?” Suddenly Eve was pulling away from him again, and Javíer couldn’t stand it and regretted every stupid word he had just said to her. “I don’t believe that for a second. You’ve been so good to me. Even now you’re not screaming at me and throwing me out.”

“Maybe I should.” Eve threatened with a twinkle in her eye. But when he smirked back at her, Eve looked away and let out a loud frustrated groan. God, making him happy, even just for a moment, made her feel so good. She had to try and protect herself from those feelings if she was going to lose him; it was frustrating. “Every relationship I’ve ever had was doomed to fail right from the beginning.” Eve vouched with a certainty that made Javíer wonder if there was any situation where he’d think she wasn’t utterly adorable. 

This must be what he sounded like, Javí considered to himself as he shook his head and took another sip of his coffee. “Maybe we’re perfect for each other, then.” Javí jested as Eve continued to frown at him. “That sounds a little fatalist, don’t you think?”

“Look who’s talking.” Eve teased back as they both puffed out reluctant laughs. That smile of his was really becoming her favourite thing in the world. Losing it was going to suck. But all of this really wasn’t his fault; it was hers. “I don’t know how to explain this to you, Javí. But I’ve always played some kind of pathetic role with men.”

“How do you mean?” Javi nearly laughed. “Pathetic is the last thing I think of when I think of you.”

“Well, you know a little bit about my family, don’t you.” Eve waited for Javí to slowly nod before she continued. “I’ve always known what’s expected of me. So I put on the right mask and become the person that they want me to be. Elegant and demure at dinner parties - never bruising a man’s ego or outshining them. Never too pushy or clingy. I open the right doors and introduce them to the right people. I know what positions I’m allowed to publicly stand for, and when I have to keep my mouth shut.”

“Fuck.” Javí sighed. It sounded like living in a prison.

“It’s exhausting.” Eve added. “I’ve never just been myself. The one that’s secretly the most liberal person in any room I’ve ever been in. The one likes junk food and dances around in her underwear.”

“You dance around in your underwear?” Javí clarified, trying to sound serious. “What man doesn’t want that?”

“Not the point.” Eve playfully admonished with a wag of her finger. “But you know what I’m saying. No one has ever wanted just me. They’ve all been climbing the ladder, you know? They want all of the perks that come along with dating Senator Marcus Capshaw’s daughter. And like an idiot, I always gave in and played the part.” Eve sadly shrugged as if she was accepting her own defeat. “But I’m not that way when I’m with you, Javí - not even once. I’m just little ol’ me.” 

_And now you don’t want me,_ Eve nearly added but decided that it sounded too self loathing and weak. The last thing she wanted was to pull on his heartstrings and guilt him into staying with her. But Javi really saw her and being truly seen by someone was one hell of a drug. Eve didn’t want to give it up. Give him up.

“I don’t want any of that bullshit.” Javí asserted. His brown eyes studied her blue ones until she gave him a small smile and looked down at her hands in her lap.

“I know you don’t.” Eve agreed, swallowing down the hard lump in her throat. “That’s probably why I like you so much. Why I couldn't ignore the way I felt about you. And trust me, I tried.” Eve finally realized that she really could fall in love for the first time in her life, but was a breath away from losing Javier before she could get over her bullshit and let it happen. “But now that I’m just myself, I’m suddenly terrified that I’m not enough...or or...maybe I’m too much. I’ll probably never find out.”

Eve was finally giving Javier everything that he’s ever wanted from her. She was being open and honest, and showing him her true self. She was even fighting for them to stay together and it was a beautiful sight. He just wished that he didn’t he have to fuck up so badly in order for this to happen.

“I understand if you wanna bail.” Eve volunteered as tears began to brim her big blue eyes. “I’m too much for me sometimes, too. So I get it.”

“You’re not too much, princesa.” Javí whispered as he leaned forward and tucked her hair behind her ear before he pressed his lips to her forehead. She smelled like vanilla and lavender and it made his heart ache in his chest. So much so, that he decided to just tell her the truth and let the chips fall where they may. 

“You’re becoming...Eve, you’re becoming _everything_ to me.” Javíer admitted, his voice sounding like warm honey. 

“Really!” Eve squeaked and couldn’t help but light up like a Christmas tree. She couldn't care less how eager she must have looked to him. She was happy and refused to wear a fake mask with him. She decided then and there that wanted him to know the real her without any stupid games.

“You’re in every good thought I have.” Javí continued with a shy grin. Feeling joy radiating from her and knowing he was the cause of it was making him giddy. “I don’t know if I should be admitting this so quickly, but you’re important to me, Eve. You’re not just a woman I fuck, either. You’re actually my friend, too. Which is new...and I like it.”

“I like being your buddy.” Eve grinned at him, her blue eyes brimming with totally different kinds of tears. 

“That smile.” Javí quietly uttered to himself with admiration in his voice. Those blue eyes of hers could completely level him, Javier mused before he looked down at his coffee and tried to find the right words to express his fears. “The thing is, I just don’t know how to give you what you deserve. What kind of future could we have? My work…”

Javíer was interrupted by a knock coming from her front door and they both groaned in unison over the intrusion. 

“Hold that thought, Mr. Workaholic.” Eve groaned as she quickly kissed the corner of his mouth and bounced off the bed to try and find some pants to wear to open the door.

Javí rolled his eyes at his new nickname, but that just made her giggle more at him.

“What? You think I don’t already know that you’re going to work yourself into an early grave?” Eve quietly sang out. “Oh, Javí. I’m not trying to complicate your life or make you quit your job. I told you before, I believe in what you’re trying to do here. I’m on your side. I want you to put away every single one of those bastards.”

“I know.” Javí groaned. Fuck he really didn’t know anything about relationships. Murphy would have sold his soul to have Connie say those words to him. “I don’t mean to make this….this thing we’ve started. I’m not trying to make it sound like a burden. I don’t want to bail.” Javí decided then and there. “I guess I just want you to know what you’re getting yourself into.”

Eve rushed back to him and held his face in her hands and gently kissed lips. She’d never get enough of his soft lips and kissed him one last time. She would have stayed there in the perfect moment longer, but she had to pull away when, whoever was at the door, started knocking again. 

“I get it. I want you to know what you’re getting into, too” Eve nodded as the knocking on her door became more persistent. “I’m going to tell you everything. Because, as much as I try to fight it, I’m all in if you are, Javí.”

“Really?” Javí’s eyebrows shot up as he tried to clarify what she had just said. “You’re all in?”

“Sleepovers are for boyfriends, remember?” Eve winked as the knocking on her door obnoxiously continued. “Grrr, I gotta get the door. You look so damn good in my bed, Peña. Don’t move, I’ll get rid of whoever it is.” 

“Capshaw.” Javí called out before she could get away. “Sorry for...for…”

“Catching feelings and freaking out?” Eve volunteered with a smirk. “Birds of a feather, baby. That’s usually my style so I get it. You’re too good for me to pass up, Javíer. I forgive you - this time.”

Eve couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off her face as she floated through her living room towards her front door. Ready to quickly get rid of whoever it was. But before Eve had fully opened her door, Emily and Molly Fiestl were making their way past her. Confusing, since usually their visits weren’t at such an early hour. 

But that wasn’t the only puzzling thing about their early morning visit. This time, they were being accompanied by a new furry visitor purring in Molly’s arms.

“Who’s your new friend?” Eve sang out as Molly marched into her living room and placed a little long haired orange and yellow kitten on her couch.

“He doesn’t have a name.” Emily sniffed before she turned to her daughter. “And no Molly, before you start crying again, we’re not naming him. You’re just gunna get too attached if you do.”

 _“Mommmmmy!”_ Molly whined from the couch. “I wanna name him Muffins!”

“Enough, Molly Dolorous Fiestl.” Emily tried to silence her daughter before a new sneezing fit started. “We can’t keep him. My sinuses feel like they’ve been hit by a truck.”

“Here, sweetheart.” Eve offered her friend a box of kleenex and tried to figure out how she was going to get the two of them out of there before they found a half naked Javíer Peña sipping his morning coffee in her bedroom. “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on is.” Emily held her hand up as if to say, one minute, as she turned her head away and let out a loud sneezed. “I’m the worst mother in the world.” 

“I hate to break it to you, but I think my mother is in the running for that title.” Eve teased her friend with a small laugh. “How did dropping off Daniel and Chris at the airport go this morning?”

“Fine.” Emily lied as Molly continued to play with the tiny kitten. “Until Chris and Van Ness boarded their flight and Molly started crying and screaming for her daddy.”

“Oh no.”

“Yeah.” Emily sighed as she took another Kleenex. “Thankfully Chris didn’t see her. You know what a softy he is. Then to make matters worse, there was a guy giving away kittens in the parking lot…”

“Oh no!” Eve repeated, only this time a little bit louder once she realized what kind of mess Feistl’s wife had gotten herself into. 

“I thought that a kitten would help her not miss her dad so much while he was gone.” Emily explained while she looked up at the ceiling and tried to fight off another sneeze. “Give her something else to focus on, you know.”

“Good plan.” Eve sympathetically smiled. “And you’re allergic?”

“I had no idea.” Emily whined as she blew her nose. “I had a cat as a kid. I thought you were supposed to grow out of allergies as you aged? Not gain new ones! I feel like I’m dying. What the hell I’m I going to do?”

“Oh, sweetie.” Eve soothed as she wrapped her arm around Emily’s shoulders and the two women rested their heads against each other. “You’re not a bad mother. You’re the best. My parents would never let me have a pet of my own. At least you were trying to do something to make Molly happy. Especially when she was missing her dad. In theory, it was a great plan.”

“You not a bad mommy, mommy.” Molly promised, clearly overhearing their adult conversation. “I just wuv dis kitty cat. I don’t want to say goodbye to him, too. I hate goodbye. Daddy says goodbyes suck. Kitty doesn’t mean to make you sick. It’s a accident.”

Eve’s heart broke in two as she listened to Molly try and comfort her sneezing mother. Eve had promised Fiestl that she would look out for his family while he was gone. That’s probably why she found herself taking a second look at the little kitten who was making himself at home on her couch. He was kinda cute.

“I’m not allergic.” Eve volunteered, her eyes never leaving the little scruffy orange kitten. “What if he lived with me instead?”

“Then you can name him and I can see him all the time!” Molly squealed in delight. “But can his last name be Muffins?”

Once Eve saw the relief on Emily’s face and the joy radiating from Molly, there was no turning back. In all honesty, helping them made Eve feel like a hero. How hard could raising a little harmless kitten be? Besides, Javíer was two seconds away from breaking up with her anyway. She’d have all the time in the world for a new pet. Maybe her apartment wouldn’t feel so lonely after she told Javíer about her past and he finally dumped her for real. 

“Are you sure, Eve?” Emily asked. “This is huge, you really don’t have to do this, sweetie.”

“I know I don’t.” Eve smiled as she tried to convince herself that she could handle this. “But he’s kinda cute. He’ll be like my little roommate.”

“Do you even like cats?” Emily wondered out loud.

“Sure.” Eve shrugged. “I’ve never had one, though. The only pet I’ve ever sorta had was my dad’s hunting dog, Gunner. But I only got to see him during hunting season and sometimes during the summer. My little brother couldn’t understand why he liked me more than him.” Eve turned to Molly and playfully whispered. “It’s because I used to feed him bacon under the table. Do you like bacon, little guy?” Eve asked the kitten while she scratched him behind the ears.

“He’s purring!” Molly squealed while she clapped her little hands together and bounced up and down. “Dat means he likes you! You’re his mommy now, E.”

“I’m going to run out today and get you all of the gear you need.” Emily insisted. 

“Gear?”

“Food, bowls, litter box, toys. Lots and lots of toys.” Emily listed in between her sneezes. “No buts, you really saved me. I owe you - _big time.”_

Javíer had overheard most of the lively conversation that had been going on in Eve’s living room as he drank his coffee and changed into yesterday’s clothes. Even sneaking a quick morning smoke after he opened Eve’s bedroom window; careful not to make his presence known. Eve hadn’t been lying earlier, she really had been adopted by Feistl’s family. Javí had known that Feistl had a wife, but didn’t know about his kid. Being the boss was still so new to him. Even though he didn’t regret sending Feistl and Van Ness to Cali, being responsible for his men’s safety was understandably harder when Javí knew they had small children.

But Javí found it interesting listening to Eve speak to Feistl’s little girl. He’d never seen Eve with children before, but there was something in her voice that made him smile and caused a warm feeling to spread across his chest. Javíer never once thought he’d find such a wholesome quality so sexy. 

There were so many different sides to Eve, and Javíer was wondering if he’d ever find one that he didn’t thoroughly enjoy. But before he could dwell on it, Javíer heard the women saying their goodbyes and Eve’s front door open and close.

“The coast is clear, Jav. So I guess I have a cat now.” Eve announced as she came back into her bedroom and found Javí dressed and waiting for her. “Are you hungry? I make a mean toast.”

“Naw, I’m good.” A ghost of a smile stretched across his face as he watched the tiny orange and blonde kitten follow Eve into the bedroom and rub up against her leg.

“Do you know anything about cats?” Eve asked as the kitten purred away like a little tiny motor.

“My last experience with a cat didn’t go so well.” Javí admitted. “Murphy had one when he first got here.”

“Oh?” Eve innocently asked, not knowing that she really didn’t want to hear the rest of the ugly story.

Javíer quickly explained to her what had happened to Puff when members of the cartel had broken into Murphy’s apartment. They had murdered the poor animal and left it hanging there to send a message to the new DEA agent.

“You’re shitting me.” Eve gasped. She thought that she had read pretty much everything in Javí’s old files. But this gruesome tale was news to her. 

“I shit you not.” Javí chuckled at Eve’s adorable reaction. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she hadn’t been around then. For Javí, it was as if Eve had always been a part of his life. “Actually, come to think about it...he kinda looks like Murphy.”

“The cat?”

“Little scruffy blonde thing,” Javíer explained as he watched the innocent kitten explore his new surroundings. “He almost looks like he has a moustache like his, too.” Before the words had even left Javí’s mouth, the kitten had run head first into Eve’s dresser trying to fight off his own shadow. “Yeah, you’re definitely just like Murphy, little guy.”

“Murphy.” Eve said the name out loud to test it out. The little kitten perked up and turned his head and looked at her with his big eyes and there was no turning back. “Murph. Murphy. Murphy Muffins. I like it. That’s your name, little guy.”

“Ha! Murphy Muffins? He’ll hate that.” Javíer chuckled as he watched the kitten zoom around the room.

“Look, Javí.” Eve tensed up as she started to address the heavy conversation that they were having before the Feistl’s showed up. “About before…”

“I don’t want to end things, Eve.” Javí quickly added before she could finish. “I’m not really sure where to go from here. But I have a feeling that we’re just getting started and I wanna see where this could go.”

“Good.” Eve let out a long cleansing breath and finally relaxed and let her shoulders drop.

“I’m just not very good at this kind of stuff.” Javí admitted with nothing but self deprecating honesty but also smiling at the kindness behind her blue eyes. “And, like I said before, I want you to know what you’re getting into. If my history is any indication...I’m going to disappoint you at some point.”

“I’m just playing this by ear, too.” Eve admitted as she took his hand and smiled when he linked their fingers together. “You weren’t ever supposed to be an option for me in the first place. But it’s important to me that you know what you’re getting into, too. Because, Javí, I’m not the prize that you think I am. I’m going to disappoint you, too. I’ve done so many things that I’m not proud of. I’ve been a part of things that... that have caused so much damage. You might end up changing your mind; and I wouldn’t blame you.”

“This me you’re talking to.” Javí jested to try to make her feel better. “Any mistakes that you’ve made would pale in comparison to some of the things that I’ve been a part of.”

“Oh, Javí.” Eve whined. He was looking at her with so much warmth and kindness in his eyes. Eve knew that look was about to change so she took a moment to commit it to memory.

“You’re scaring me, Eve.” Javí tried to joke but Eve’s bottom lip began to tremble and he started to become worried that she was some kind of serial killer or something. “Shhhh, baby. Just tell me. Is this about your parents?”

“Kinda.” Eve whimpered. “I don’t know where to start.”

“Whatever it is, you can tell me.” Javí encouraged with his deep voice soft and low. It was the same voice that he used when one of his father’s horses were seconds away from being spooked. But before he could comfort her, there was another knock on her door.

“You gotta be kidding me!” Eve groaned in frustration. “I’m so sorry, Javí. I have no idea what’s going on this morning. It’s not even 8am yet. I swear, I’m not this popular.”

“Go deal with it.” Javíer insisted with a sly smile. “I’m assuming that you want me to hide in here like your dirty little secret?”

“My sexy little secret.” Eve corrected him as she kissed the corner of his mouth again. Laughing against his lips when he pulled her against him to get a better kiss from her. “God, you’re good at that.” 

“I won't change my mind.” Javí softly assured her before he let her go. 

“Famous last words.” Eve challenged. It was easier for her to joke than to prepare herself for him to start hating her. “But I hope you won't. I like your face too much.”

“Is that all you like?” Javí hummed.

“Let me get rid of whoever this is.” Eve breathlessly whispered against his lips. “And I’ll show you all the different parts of you I like.” 

_“Evelyn, dear. I know you’re in there.”_ A loud female voice rang out from behind Eve’s front door. _“It’s your mother. Don’t make me stand out here like a common delivery man. I just came from the airport. I’m not leaving until you let me in. You can’t avoid me forever.”_

“Holy shit!” Eve gasped, her heart being to race for an entirely different reason. “Javí, don’t move - don’t even breathe!”

“Do you want me to sneak out the fire escape?” Javí looked around the room and tried to think of an exit.

“No. I don’t want you breaking your neck. But keep the window open so she can’t smell the smoke.” Eve nibbled on her thumbnail and tried to come up with a game plan. “I’ll get rid of her. I’m so so sorry about this.”

“Fuck. Don’t be.” Javí insisted as he ran his hand down his face. Being with Eve had him feeling like a teenager again, he just didn’t think he’d feel like one getting caught with his pants down. He should have considered some of the harsh realities of dating Evelyn Capshaw. But in all honesty, even if he had, Javíer would still be in her bedroom right now on the verge of getting caught by a high ranking member of the state department. Murphy would be laughing his ass off at him right now.

Eve left her new kitten with Javíer and shook out her hands and rolled her shoulders on her way to her door to try and psych herself up. But she didn’t feel any braver and just hoped for the best as she swung open her door.

“Good morning, mother!” Eve announced with a thick layer of fake happiness. “To what do I owe the pleasure of such an early morning visit?”

“You look far too skinny, my dear.” Elizabeth Capshaw looked down at her only daughter with a cool disapproval that only she could pull off. “Have you been eating?” 

“Not at all.” Eve sassed back with a straight face. “What? Was that something that I should have been doing? Shit, I knew I was forgetting something.”

“Cute. But don’t start, Evelyn.” Her mother pursed her lips together and looked over Eve’s shoulder. Curious about her living conditions. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“This isn’t a good time. You should have called first.” Eve tried to politely get rid of her, but to no avail. 

“And you would have taken my call?” Elizabeth Capshaw sang out as she called her on all of the phone dodging Eve had been doing since she got to Columbia.

Before she could stop her, Eve’s mother had let herself in and was placing her designer handbag on her kitchen counter. _Shit!_

“So how are you adjusting, my dear?” Elizabeth asked as she looked around, seeing Ben’s painting on the wall and smiling one of her rare genuine smiles. “It looks like you’re all moved in. Arthur assured me that embassy housing was suitable. But I think I need to have a serious conversation with him about the definition of that word.”

“I like it here. It’s safe and I have everything I need.” Eve vouched. “How long are you staying?”

“I have to be in Japan for a conference.” Elizabeth finally stopped inspecting her apartment and really looked at her daughter. There was pity in her eyes and it pissed Eve off like nothing else could. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning, I’m afraid.”

“Good.” Eve looked her in the eye, refusing to let any emotion enter her voice. 

“Eve.” Elizabeth started, seemingly used to her daughter's attitude. “How are you feeling?”

“Who’s asking?” Eve snapped as she crossed her arms. She knew that she was playing with fire because Javíer was surely overhearing their conversation. But there was something about her mother pretending to play the role of the loving concerned parent that enraged her. “You or Jack?”

Of course Javíer was listening, he was an investigator by trade and couldn’t help himself. But he stood up straighter when he heard the pure anger in Eve’s voice. Who the fuck was Jack? 

“I’m your mother, Evelyn.” Elizabeth stood her ground. “Try as you might try to paint me as one, I’m not a monster. You have to understand, everything got so out of control. But losing a baby is devastating, even under those circumstances.”

 _Fuck,_ was all Javíer could think as his heart dropped in his chest. He had no idea.

“‘Those circumstances?’” Eve repeated, her voice dripping with disdain. Before Eve could allow herself to truly feel the loss of her baby again, she started to sweat and began to feel off balance. It’s as though her mother has just pulled the rug out from under her and punched her in the gut at the same time. Eve was well aware that Javí must have overheard, but before she could unleash her anger on her mother, Eve reminded herself that she only has herself to blame for not telling him sooner. “I’m not doing this right now. I need to get ready for work.”

“Speaking of work.” Elizabeth hummed as she looked around Eve’s humble apartment with open contempt. “What in the world were you thinking? You had to know that I wouldn’t be pleased.”

“And god forbid you should be the one upset about anything, right?”

“Do not give me that attitude of yours.” Elizabeth seethed as she gave her daughter her trademarked stare that had made grown men cower for decades. “Not about this. You’re a _Capshaw._ Arthur was all set to give you a good position with the state department. With Columbia on the verge of becoming a major political player, you could have turned all of this around. But you go behind my back and choose to do menial secretarial work for the DEA? _What a waste_. With your talents?”

 _Could have turned what around?_ Javíer wondered to himself as he moved closer to the door so that he could hear them better. 

“I wouldn’t exactly call them talents, mother.” Eve muttered under her breath, feeling like a little kid again. 

“Why are you dead set to sabotage every single opportunity that comes your way?” Elizabeth crossed her arms and looked down at her. “Just to stick it to your parents? I would have thought that you would’ve outgrown all your rebellious tendencies during your teenage years.” 

“Opportunity?” Eve scoffed, finally fed up and ready to fight back and stand her ground, as well. “Don’t you dare talk to me about opportunities again, mother. I’m not interested in your idea of an _opportunity._ I told you. I’m done. Finished. _Terminado!”_ Eve threw in one of the few Spanish words that Feistl had managed to teach her before he left with Van Ness for Cali. Javí couldn’t help but smile to himself and be proud of his girl, even though he had no idea what Eve was finished with in the first place.

Javí was so enthralled in eavesdropping on the two Capshaw women, that he hadn’t noticed that Murphy had nudged the bedroom door open enough to make a sneaky exit. Soon Javier was silently cursing himself when he heard Eve’s mother screaming out in a shrill voice. 

_“When in the hell did you get a cat!”_

“Don’t you dare kick my cat again.” Eve ordered through her teeth, picking up the confused kitten and holding him close. Little Murphy Muffins had just been curious and friendly when he trotted down the hall and rubbed up against her mother’s leg - only to have her mother harshly boot him away. Eve identified with the poor kitten and kissed the side of his furry little face. Growing up, how many times had she been metaphorically swatted away when she had been looking for love, as well. “Good boy. Murph.” Eve whispered into his ear.

“Well, keep that filthy rodent away from me. You know I’m allergic.” Elizabeth huffed as she searched her handbag for a tissue. “Look, I really don’t want to rehash all of that unpleasantness.” 

Eve couldn’t believe her ears but reconsidered fighting with her mother when Javíer was just a few feet away. He deserved to hear “all of that unpleasantness” straight from her. Not third hand while she bickered with her mother. 

“Neither do I.” Eve sighed as Murphy started to purr against her neck. “So why are you here, exactly? And don’t insult my intelligence by claiming you took a 9 hour flight because you missed me. We both know you’re not exactly mother of the year.”

“Not this year, anyway.” Elizabeth dropped her shoulders and sighed. The tension in the air filled with so many things that had been left unsaid between mother and daughter. “Peterson and Martin are in Columbia on a fact finding mission. I volunteered to make sure that those facts align with certain priorities.”

“You can never just speak like a real person, can you.” Eve huffed. “The DEA is making headway, mother. Don’t get involved.”

All of the air hitched in Javíer’s throat at the thought of Eve selling him out and oversharing with her mother. The operation he had just started running against the Cali cartel was supposed to be on the downlow for the time being. Being outed before they came up some solid evidence to use against the Rodriguez brothers could be disastrous. 

“What do you mean?” Elizabeth asked as she smoothed out Eve’s hair like she used to when she was a little girl. “I trust you already know about the surrender deal. It’s not common knowledge yet - but do you know something that I don’t?”

“No, I just mean, no one thought that Escobar would ever get caught.” Eve thought on her feet and refused to sell Javí and her friends out. “It gave the people of Columbia a big win. If DEA funding is cut now, where does all of that good faith go? You know as well as I do that American involvement doesn’t always inspire hope.”

“You’ve always been a clever one, my dear.” Elizabeth smiled down at her daughter. 

_She is a clever one,_ Javí thought to himself as he breathed a sigh of relief. 

“I trust I’ll see you tonight?” Elizabeth asked and if Eve didn’t know any better she’d think her mother wanted to spend time with her. “I have meetings all day, I’m afraid.”

“I’ll be there.” Eve agreed as she looked down at her feet. “A little notice would’ve been nice, though.”

“My apologies for the misunderstanding.”

Eve couldn’t help but petulantly roll her eyes like a little kid. Going behind her back and having Stoddard change Javi’s schedule so she wouldn’t know she was in the country was hardly a misunderstanding. But Eve shouldn’t be surprised. She’s been dealing with shit like that for as long as she could remember. It all goes part and parcel with being a Capshaw.

“I just wasn’t sure where things stood between us.” Elizabeth admitted before she turned away and sneezed three times.

“Neither do I.” Eve muttered under her breath.

“I need to get out of here and find a Benadryl.” Her mother huffed in disgust as she gathered her purse. “It is nice to see you. I know you don’t believe me but… but I did try my best to stop it.”

“Mother, don’t.” Eve sharply ordered, placing her hand up between them to make her point.

“If I had known how bad it was…”

“Stop.” Eve snapped. “Look, I appreciate your concern but…” Eve sighed when her mother actually looked sincere for a moment. Deep down, no matter how old she got, Eve would always want her mom to love her. But at this point, all of those hopeful little girl feelings were simply useless and annoying. “I'm just not ready, mom.”

“I trust that you’re looking after yourself.” And just like that Elizabeth Capshaw turned into Lizzie, loving mother, and Eve tried not to cry.

“I am.” Eve quietly replied as her kitten purred away. The innocent sound filling the heavy silence between them.

“Have you seen a doctor since you’ve been here?” Her mother asked while she dabbed her nose with her tissue.

“There’s no need.” Eve insisted, trying to keep her voice low and steady as she placed Murphy on the floor and let him explore his new home. “After the D&C, I got a clean bill of health. It’s like it never even happened.”

“I’m more concerned with your emotional health, dear.” 

“With all due respect, mother.” Eve wanted to scream at her, but somehow managed to hold back for the sake of Javíer in the other room. “But that’s none of your business. Not anymore.”

“Fair enough.” Elizabeth answered after a long uncomfortable pause. She stood up straighter and looked as though Eve had slapped her in the face with her cold words. “I’ll show myself out.”

Eve watched her mother leave and stood in the middle of her living room and couldn’t seem to move. All of the emotions that she had been putting off feeling for months now started to bubble up in her chest. She cursed herself for being so weak when she began to tremble and feel a coldness run over her body.

To make matters worse, Eve had no idea what would come next between her and Javíer. She was frozen in place and felt fresh warm tears well up in her eyes and fall down her cheeks.

After everything, all Eve could do was bury her face in her hands and sob. She felt like such a loser. Her mother’s visit had reminded her that she’d lost everything before she had even stepped foot in Columbia. And she was on the verge of losing Javíer, too. It was all too much for her to stand.

“Shh, princesa.” Javíer cooed as he came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her now that the coast was clear. He pressed her back against his chest and kissed the side of her head when he felt her shaking. But his gentle loving ways just made her cry harder into her hands. 

“There’s so much I have to tell you.” Eve stated the obvious through her hiccuped sobs.

“Take your time, baby.” Javíer insisted as he turned her around in his arms. She still hadn’t removed her hands from her face as she cried against his chest. “I’ll call Stoddard and see if Feistl and Van Ness have checked in from Cali. But we’re not going into work today, Eve.”

“People will talk.” Eve answered from inside her hands.

“I don’t fucking care.” Javí reassured her as he rubbed her back. “You’re the only one I give a shit about right now. I want to know everything, Eve.”

“Really?” Eve whined as she finally looked up at him.

She sounded like a little kid and Javí tried not to find her adorable at a time like this. 

“I’m all in.” Javier admitted, not only to Eve, but finally to himself, as well. 


	14. Imperfect People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Eve’s mother leaves her apartment, Javíer and Eve finally have a heart to heart and confess things that they’ve never told anyone.

  
After Eve’s mother had left her apartment, Javíer held Eve in her living room while she tried her best to pull herself together. He almost found it adorable how she’d keep pulling away from him to pace the floor, claiming to be okay. Only to tear up again moments later and melt back into his arms. She couldn't bear to keep up the facade, but Javí admired her efforts. 

All he could do was rub her back while he racked his brain trying to figure out to do what next. He wanted so badly to help her, but Javí had only heard bits and pieces of their conversation without any context to help him understand what was really going on between them. 

All Javí knew for sure was that Eve had recently lost a pregnancy and that the problems that she had with her family ran deep. But the longer Eve sobbed against his chest, the more helpless Javíer felt. And if there was one thing that the two of them had in common, it was their shared hatred of that feeling.

“You were pregnant?” Was all Javí could think to ask, since that had been his biggest discovery from the conversation she had with her mother.

“Yes.” Eve nodded as she choked on her sobs. “But I lost the baby. It happened only a few weeks before I came here.”

“Fuck, I’m so sorry, Eve.” Javí cursed as he held her a little tighter and kissed the top of her head.

“It was so terrible...I was a little over five months along, I’d just started showing a little bit.” Eve explained, finally looking up from her hands with a dark look in her eyes. “No matter what you might hear from those people, I wanted her, Javi. I really wanted her. I was terrified about becoming a mother, but I was changing my whole life for my daughter... sometimes, I could feel her move...she was everything to me.” 

“I believe you.” Javí reassured her with a pained expression when he noticed her hand unconsciously start to cradle her now flat tummy. “Why wouldn’t I believe you?”

“It’s sorta why I’m here...everything was a mess...Jack and the wedding. All the lies.” Saying her ex fiance’s name was like a natural antidote to her sadness. Just thinking about him again was infuriating; evident by the almost violent way she wiped away her tears and let out a sharp huff. 

“The wedding?” Javíer’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise.

“I never wanted to marry that son of a bitch in the first place.” Eve practically growled. “The bastard confessed to messing with my birth control. Who the fuck does that? He thought that if I had his baby, I’d never leave him. Well, fuck him!” 

Eve’s voice trembled and she couldn’t seem to get enough air into her lungs. It was hard to get her thoughts and only seemed to be able to speak in short sentences. She’d gone so long without letting her frustrations out, now her adrenaline was pumping and couldn’t seem to stop herself.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” Javíer seethed. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing and wished he could get his hands on a man that he’d never met. 

“I was stupid enough to think he was being nice when he started picking up my prescriptions for me.” Eve rolled her eyes. “You can’t fault his logic. Jack really thought that he had his bases covered. If I had his kid - then he’d always be a part of my family, no matter what. But I ended up calling his bluff and dumped his ass.”

“That’s my girl.” Javí praised as he reached out and smoothed out her hair and tucked an unruly lock behind her ear. She was so sad and angry, but Javí found himself proud of her for standing up to her ex. She had handled leaving Jack a lot better than he had handled leaving Lorraine back in the day.

“Jack never saw it coming. He never thought that I’d choose my baby over him and my job...over my parents strong objections.” Eve added, trying to ignore the look of pride in Javí’s eyes. She was no hero and didn’t deserve his admiration. “I was maybe four and a half months along when I resigned. I had just found out the sex of the baby that morning. Maybe knowing what I was having made things feel more real for me, I dunno.” Eve shrugged. “I just knew I was done. I even told Jack that I was leaving him on the same day, too.”

“Wow, you really were done. Big day, huh?” Javi tried to jest.

“Maybe it was the hormones; they’re really no joke.” Eve playfully groaned. “I decided that I was going to raise our baby by myself; somewhere far away from DC. I’d even contacted a realtor. But then my parents got involved.” Eve bitterly spat out. “And the Capshaws never let a good tragedy go to waste. They cut some deals with Jack and his father, then all of a sudden a wedding was happening whether I liked it or not.”

“Are you serious?”

“Fun fact, Jack never even proposed.” Eve puffed out a small laugh that trailed into a sad sigh. “I wasn’t even involved in the decision. Nice, huh?”

“I’ve heard a lot of fucked up shit in my day.” Javí attested as he ran his hands through his hair in disbelief. “But this is really something else. This isn’t the fucking middle ages, for christ sake. How could they do that to their daughter?”

“For my parents, their only daughter having a baby out of wedlock was suddenly completely unacceptable now that I wanted to move away and leave the baby's father.” Eve bitterly ranted. “They tried to hide it, but mostly they were pissed because I quit my job.” Eve continued to pace the floor with little Murphy Muffins trying his best to keep up with her. “My dad went into damage control mode and pulled some strings with my boss, so I could come back whenever I wanted. But the truth was, they didn’t give a shit about the baby for _months.”_

“They didn’t care about their own grandchild?” Javí asked in disbelief, knowing that his own father would do cartwheels at the very thought of becoming a grandfather one day.

“At one point, their staff both forgot I was pregnant and they sent me _two_ bottles of champagne. Two! Must have slipped their minds; they’re very busy people, after all.” Eve sarcastically added. “But suddenly, I was being unfair to my family by leaving DC. Fucking ridiculous. _‘Family’_...whatever.”

“The balls on them for playing the family card after forgetting that you were pregnant.”

“Such bullshit.” Eve mirrored Javi’s scowl but loved that, for the time being, he was on her side. “See, publicly the Capshaws are supposed to be conservative when it comes to family values - which is a joke. Just ask my mother’s personal trainer and my father’s press secretary. They’ve been having long term affairs with them for _years!_ I know them! I send them Christmas cards and have lunch dates with them when we’re in the same city.” Eve rambled on with her kitten close on her heels. “It’s an open secret in our family, it’s like having a set of secret step parents. The two of them are even friends. But me? No, I have to marry a dickhead that …”

“That manipulated and violated their daughter’s trust.” Javíer finished her thought for her with a groan as he rubbed his face with the palms of his hands. “Outstanding husband material for their kid.”

“I fought them...I really did.” Eve tried to defend herself for going along with the wedding like a sheep headed to slaughter. “I didn’t care about our family’s ‘reputation.’ But they sat me down and gave me a whole song and dance about how starting a family with Jack would get my head back in the game and give me more stability. But, in reality, they simply liked the guy and thought he was the best thing for me.”

“Sounds like they liked whatever deal they cooked up with Jack’s father, too.” Javí added.

“You catch on quick, Jav.” Eve sadly smiled. She hated how badly she was shaking, but she just couldn’t stop. “But I did fight them. I fought them really hard. So hard, that my dad pulled out the big guns and threatened someone close to me. Someone completely innocent.”

“Who?”

“My 16 year old nephew.” Eve confessed as she chewed on her bottom lip. “My brother, Ben, had a kid right before he died. No one knows about him. I’m the only one Josh has a relationship with in my fucked up family; thank god. My dad knew that I would do anything to protect him.”

“Shh, baby.” Javí soothed. He was worried about her, he had never seen her like this and was worried that she was going to hyperventilate if she didn’t slow down her breathing.

“My father pulled me aside and threatened to upend his whole life if I didn’t play ball!” Eve cried out as if she had to defend her actions to Javíer. “I just couldn’t let that happen. I had no choice and I ended up going along with the stupid engagement. Jack was my baby’s father and I convinced myself that maybe I still could love him one day or that maybe having a baby would change him and make him a better person...what a joke.” Eve huffed, finally noticing that little Murphy was looking up at her. Eve let out a loud sigh and picked up her new kitten, explaining the rest of the sordid tale to him in a calmer voice. “But then I lost the baby and I just couldn’t go through with it anymore, Murph. Once I knew my nephew was safe, I ran.”

“And you ran to Colombia.” Javí deduced as he watched her care for the purring kitten. 

“My mother’s idea.” Eve disclosed as she placed Murphy on her couch and turned to face Javíer. “The plan was to stay here until things calmed down. Our engagement was big news and the invitations had already been sent out. So Jack and his family think I’ve made fools out of them. They started spreading lies about me and the baby to save face; it’s disgusting. My mom asked me if I wanted to go to Switzerland or Colombia until things blew over. So I tossed a coin.”

“Jesus.” Javí sighed as he ran his hand down his face and let that sink in. He was shocked that Eve coming into his life came down to something as random as a coin toss. “None of this is any of my business, Eve. Don’t feel like you have to tell me all of this. I’m not trying to push you. I can see how hard this is for you.”

“But I want _us,_ Javí. You and me.” Eve insisted as she took a deep breath to try and steady herself. She took his hand and felt stronger when he squeezed her hand and linked their fingers together. Touching him always managed to center her and remind her what was really important, it was as if Javi had a superpower that only worked on her. 

“I want that too.” Javí shyly smiled as he squeezed her hand again.

“I should have told you all of this already. I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”

“Don’t you dare apologize, Eve.” Javí ordered. “I mean it. Enough with that shit. You don’t owe me - or your fucking family, _anything,_ baby.”

“I just really want us to work.” Eve sniffed. “And for us to work. For us to _really_ work; you have to know what you’re getting into...I just don’t know where to start.”

“There’s more?” Javí nearly laughed. “Just start wherever you want to, baby.” Javí suggested as he ran his hands up and down her arms. He had no idea what he was in store for, but Javí just couldn’t get over how even now, tearstained and heartbroken, Eve still remained the most precious thing in the world to him. “We have all day, Eve. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I thought I was braver then this.” Eve uttered under her breath. Her miscarriage was still so hard to talk about, but somehow saying the words out loud had hurt less this time. She attributed that to Javíer's calm presence and hoped that if he stayed calm, that she would, too.

Javíer hated how lost Eve seemed as she tried to figure out where to start, opening her mouth and then closing it multiple times. Each attempt made her more and more frustrated with herself. 

Even though the anticipation was killing him, Javíer couldn’t help but want to go back to the last time the two of them were truly at peace and insync with each other. And that would’ve been late last night in her shower after they had made love. After they had washed each other's hair, they had simply held each other close. After a while, they began to feel as though they had blended together into one person. Missing that feeling, the beginnings of a plan began to form in Javíer’s mind as he led Eve to her bathroom.

“It’s okay, Eve.” Javíer soothed as she followed him. Her breathing sounded shaky and Javí hated that sound. “Take your time.” 

“You’re so good to me.” Eve whined as he pushed her silly colourful shower curtain out of the way and turned on her shower. “It kills me when you think you’re not good enough for me. You’re not the only one in this bathroom that’s done things that they aren’t proud of.”

“Is this about your pregnancy?” Javíer gently asked. She had stressed to him that she had wanted her baby. But he couldn’t help but jump to the conclusion that maybe she had to terminate it. But he wasn’t about to judge her if that had been her decision. It sounded as though she had been in an impossible situation.

“About my job.” Eve admitted with her bottom lip trembling.“I didn’t have an abortion.” Seemingly able to read his mind. But right off the bat her voice betrayed her and began cracking. “I lost her on my way to pick up a custom dollhouse I had ordered for her.” Fresh tears welled up in her eyes and she had to turn her back to him as the steam of the shower filled the room. Her confession made Javier look too damn sad, and Eve was barely holding herself together. “I got myself to the nearest hospital...and there was no heartbeat. I think I wanted to name her Claire. But I was waiting to see if she looked like a Claire. What if she looked like a Mia? I thought I had more time to decide.”

“I’m so sorry, baby.” Javí soothed in a low voice as she rambled. “Tell me about your job.” Javí suggested as he adjusted the temperature on her shower. From the beginning, Eve had always seemed overqualified to be filing paperwork and bringing him his coffee. Besides, talking about her loss was too devastating for both of them.

“God, I’m so fucking weak.” Eve cursed. This was it. She was going to tell him everything. She just wished that she could keep it together long enough to get her words out. 

Eve could tell that Javíer was undressing in silence. He must be dying to know more, but was giving her the time she needed. His patience was a reminder of all that she had to lose but she followed suit and peeled her clothing off, as well. 

“I started out as a writer.” Eve quickly admitted after Javíer took her hand like a gentleman and helped her step into the bathtub.

“A writer? Jesus, Eve.” Javíer exclaimed as he started breathing again. “You scared the shit out of me! A published writer?”

“I started out as a writer.” Eve repeated. “And yeah. I wasn’t half bad. I’ve written all my life. I got my first book published when I was twenty two and I even made the New York Times Best Sellers List for the first time when I was...what? Twenty five, I think.” Eve shrugged, trying to downplay her accomplishments and wipe the impressed look off of Javíer’s face. Her success was nothing compared to the mistakes that she's made.

“Fuck, I thought you were a serial killer.” Javíer laughed while he got his hair wet. “For the first time? You’ve had more than one bestseller?” Javí paused for her response, but she blushed and looked away and he had his answer. “What do you write?”

“I was mostly a ghostwriter.” Eve explained as she watched him wash his hair. “Famous people hardly ever write their own autobiographies. Especially politicians.”

The word ‘politicians’ caused Javíer to pause for a moment before he rinsed out his hair. He tried to hide it from her, but she could practically see the wheels turning in his head. Afterall, one of her favourite things about him was his code and how his mind worked. Javíer didn’t suffer fools gladly - or enjoy the political games that he’d been forced to witness throughout his career. Especially since his promotion. Little did he know, Eve used to specialize in those games.

Eve was still scared of his reaction, but there was no turning back. She didn’t deserve him and it bothered her to her core that he felt as though he was the unworthy one. But then it dawned on her. Why couldn’t he know? Maybe - just maybe - he’d understand. After Los Pepes and not being there to personally take down Escobar, maybe Javíer was the only person on that planet that could understand what it felt like to have to live with the consequences of your actions. She found it a little fitting that she was standing in front of him naked when she was getting ready to become emotionally naked, too. 

“Too hot?” Javí asked as he tried to remain physically unfazed by his beautiful naked visitor. But his body betrayed him and he found himself getting hard when Eve took the soap and began to wash his back.

“In more ways than one.” Eve puffed out a little sad laugh as Javí turned the hot water down a little for her. She was distracted by his body but tried to stay focused on her goal, but it was difficult when she began to ache for him again. There was no use denying that she had become addicted to the man. “I wish you understood. I want to deserve _this.”_ Eve gestured between the two of them. 

“I’m no prize, baby. Make me understand.” Javí pleaded. “I want to know you, princesa.”

“Please stop calling me that. It just makes it harder. You make me sound so sweet and innocent.” Eve sniffed as the reality of what she was about to confess began to sink in. “You’re not the only one that’s done things that they wish they could take back.”

“It’s not the same, Eve.” Javí countered with a small scoff. They came from completely different worlds. There was no way that she could have fucked up as badly as he had. He had a body count for christ sake.

“No. You’re right.” Eve challenged as her self loathing began to bubble up. “You caught feelings for a prostitute and made some mistakes trying to take down a psychopath kingpin that was terrorizing an entire country. In my case, it’s a lot worse, trust me. I didn’t have a noble goal.”

“You don’t understand, Eve. Helena wasn’t the only prostitute that I knew.” Javí explained. “There were so many women that I tried to turn into informats...and you know what that led to.”

“I get it, but you had a good reason.” Eve found herself defending him. “It wasn’t like you were trying to hurt them. You’re famous for never compromising your sources.”

“But a lot did get hurt. And the corruption here. I don’t even know where to begin. _It does_ stay with you.” Javí sighed as he brought up the conversation that they had the night before. “All the blood. I’ve lost friends...watched men that I respected do unspeakable things. I’ve done...I’ve done unspeakable things, Eve.” Javí looked away. He couldn’t stand to watch her start to hate him once she knew what he was capable of. “One man, who I would have given my life for, killed a child right in front of me.”

“Oh, Javí.” Eve cried, stunned by his admission. “I had no idea.” 

“What’s worse is...looking back, it was calculated.” Javíer admitted, not only to Eve, but to himself, as well. “You’ve read our files. Escobar used kids in his operation. Mostly as spotters and we found a handful of them. Thirty cops had been killed the week before and we were all on edge. We were all so desperate to push back against Escobar. I should have known that Carrillo was on the verge of snapping. On the verge of crossing yet another fucking line...maybe that’s my fate, too.”

“No!” Eve grabbed his jaw in her hand and made him look at her, squishing his cheeks together and making his perfect lips pout as his sad eyes found hers. “I don’t believe that, Javíer.”

“We were talking about you.” Javí puffed out a cynical laugh to hide the pain that he's been holding on to for years.

“Now we’re talking about this.” Eve countered as she let go of his face and moved them both under the spray of the shower. “How old was the kid?”

“He was one of the older ones; a mouthy teenager who thought he was tough. He had a chip on his shoulder the same way I did when I was his age.” Javí replied as he let her comfort him by running her hands up and down his arms the way he did to her when she was crying in her living room. “I should have seen it coming. Fuck, I thought we were all on the same page. I know we blurred the edges. We’ve broken laws; it was a fucking war. Them against us. But I thought I could trust Carrillo to do the right thing at the end of the day. But at that point, we’d already crossed so many lines; I was just lying to myself. But I should have seen it coming...what’s worse is that, even to this day, I lie to myself and say that I would have stopped it if I knew that was his plan.”

“You would have.” Eve strongly attested. “I think I know the night that you’re talking about. There was an interview with a kid, I think. But there’s nothing in there about...about…”

“How an American DEA agent witnessed the leader of Search Bloc shoot a kid no more than 17 years old point blank in the head.” Javíer finished for her with a bitter taste in his mouth. “Because I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t even confront Carrillo about it...then I went and spent the night with…”

Javí didn’t finish his thought. But the way he looked away from her, told Eve that he had gone to see a prostitute instead of turning against his friend.

“He was your friend. You were hurting and just trying to forget, baby.” Eve tried to comfort him, only to have to shake his head and stop her. Eve was right, but Javí didn’t want to be let off the hook.

“I don’t think that I’ve ever spoken about what really happened that night.” Javí considered as he swallowed hard and hoped that his trust in Eve wasn’t misplaced. “I’ve seen so many innocent lives lost... and then Burna, Judy and Los Pepes. Everything snowballed out of control. It was a nightmare.” Javí deeply sighed as their body count ran through his mind. 

“I read that article, too.” Eve added while she left a kiss on his chest right over his heart.

“I’ve compromised so much of myself…” Javí sniffed. 

Eve could sense where his mind had gone and wrapped her arms around his neck and left soft lingering kisses along his jaw; unknowingly giving him the strength to continue baring his soul to her.

“The terror they caused within the city - it just wasn’t worth it.” Javí’s voice broke but Eve just held on to him tighter as the water from the shower successfully hid the few tears he couldn’t hold back. “And that’s on me. I tried to keep Murphy safe from that side of it. How we’d been bending the law to try and get a leg up on them before he’d even taken this assignment. But Steve just kept pushing. He insisted that wanted _in._ But he had no idea what kind of shitshow he was asking for. And I saw what it did to him. Once he saw for himself how far Carrillo could go; it nearly broke him. And I was responsible for that. He was my partner. I didn’t want him to become like me. I could have stopped that, too...I might have been able to stop all of it...but I made the wrong call.”

“Oh, Javí.” Eve whimpered as she looked him in the eye and prayed to any god that might exist that she had it in her to comfort him the way he needed. “I know this may sound silly, but you’re still the good guy in all of this. Can’t you see that?”

“Am I?” Javí huffed as he shook his head. “Am I a good agent just because, in the end, we took out Escobar? Cali just replaced him with their fancy suits and surrender deals. Can’t you see, Eve? I mourned Carrillo. I still mourn him. I’m stuck behind a desk right now, but I haven’t always been the boss. I’ve gotten my hands dirty; _years_ of getting my hands dirty. Carrillo shot a child, and I went to work with him the next day. Those men were my friends and I still feel responsible for his death.”

“Why, baby?”

“It was my intel that led him into an ambush.” Javí replied with the saddest eyes Eve had ever seen. “Another one of my wonderful upstanding sources. I thought I could trust her. I even thought that maybe, in another time or place, I could have had feelings for her. But I got played.”

“If you hadn’t been sleeping with her, would you still have believed her and her source?” Eve asked. Worrying to herself that Javí might let his feelings for her cloud his judgement, as well.

“Maybe, who knows.” Javí shrugged. “But the point is, I respected him. Even after what he became. After everything that he did, I was still glad that he was on our side.”

“Things aren’t always black and white.” Eve suggested. “It doesn’t make you a bad person.”

“But I can go so far, Eve.” Javi uttered. “You’ve seen it for yourself. If you weren’t there to stop me, I would have killed that bastard in the ally.”

“But you didn’t.” Eve reminded him.

“When I heard you screaming I could have killed him with my bare hands.” Javí squeezed his eyes shut when he could practically hear the sound of her terrified cries for help in his head. “I wanted to kill him.”

“So did I!” Eve exclaimed. “And that fucker would have deserved it... Javí, you saved my life that night. I have no doubt that he would have killed me if you hadn’t shown up. I’m sure you have a ton of things you can beat yourself up for. But I refuse to let you regret that night. You did everything right, baby. _Everything.”_

“But sometimes you gotta do bad things to catch bad people.” Javí uttered, almost to himself. “How many times does a good man have to get his hands dirty for the right reasons, before they wonder if maybe they’re just simply a bad man, too.” 

“No, you’re wrong, Javíer.” Eve stated with certainty. “So, so wrong.”

“What if deep down, I’m able to chase after these men because I’m just like them?” In the darkest part of Javíer’s heart, he’d always feared that to be true. But he never thought that he’d find the courage to voice his fears before Eve. There was something about her that left him feeling raw and open yet safe and secure at the same time. The words had left his mouth before he even had a chance to censor himself.

“If I thought that was true, I wouldn’t care this much about you.” Eve vowed. “You fucked up, baby, I’m not gunna lie.” Eve smiled when Javí puffed out a small laugh at her honesty. “But the big difference between us, Javí, is that you can claim, _with all sincerity,_ that you thought you were doing it for the greater good. I’m sure that’s given you some degree of comfort right?

Eve placed her hand on his chest right over his heart and Javí nodded. He found himself mesmerized by her lips as he listened to her spill out hard truths as if they were poetry. He had indeed told himself in his darkest moments that the choices he had been made were for the best. On some days it made the burden he carried feel a little lighter, but not by much.

“...not everyone has the luxury of a badge to justify their actions.” Eve continued even though Javí had pressed her body flush against his and had grabbed her ass in both of his large hands. He was making her mind go all fuzzy, but she had to make him understand what she had done. “Some of us have to live with the cold hard knowledge that we were simply a shitty person that did terrible things for no good reason at all.”

“You think you’re a bad person?” Javí incredulously whispered against her cheek as if the idea was blasphemous. “I’ve seen your heart, Eve. You can’t fool me with that bullshit. What lies do you tell yourself, huh? Tell me, cariño .” He challenged her while he tried not to kiss her and cause her to stop talking and sharing with him. 

“Sometimes, I try and remind myself that I was young when I started and I didn’t know any better.” Eve shrugged, thankful that he had stopped groping her long enough for her to think straight. “But that's bullshit. The truth was, I knew what I was doing, and I did it anyway.”

“Is this about your DC job? What made you stop? Especially when everyone seemed to want you to stay.” Javí asked while his hands traveled to her hips and he waited for her answer.

“I...I just couldn’t do it anymore.” Eve confessed as she let out a trembling sigh. “I was going to be someone’s mom.” Eve’s voice cracked and Javíer would have sold his soul there and then to take all of her pain onto himself so that she wouldn’t have to feel a drop of it. “I wanted my daughter to be proud of me. Suddenly, the consequences were heavier than I could bear and I _broke_ under the weight of them. _What a waste._ ” Eve added under her breath in a voice that sounded suspiciously like her mother’s. 

“You are so fucking perfect.” Javí groaned, suddenly looking down at her as a hunter viewing his prey. He just couldn’t control himself any longer and he grabbed her face with both hands and crashed his lips against hers. The connection they had was strong and ever present; but not always convenient for having a serious conversation. “Fuck Eve, you’re not a waste. Where the hell did you come from.”

“Jesus, did you hear anything I just said! ” Eve laughed loudly while Javí’s lips found her neck and began to lick and nibble at her sensitive skin. This wasn’t the reaction that she was expecting, but she found it adorable nonetheless. He had been going through his own moment of sharing and Eve couldn't help but giggle now that he seemed to feel better. 

“Fucking perfect.” Javí insisted as he tasted her skin and found that spot behind her ear that made her moan. “Baby, being a ghostwriter for a bunch of self entitled ivy league pricks, isn’t the worst thing in the world.” Javíer tried to comfort her when what he really wanted to do was devour her. Javí had no idea how he would feel after he unburdoned himself and told someone about that night with Carrillo. Javí didn’t know that opening up would make him feel younger and lighter. It was as if he’d been carrying a weight on his shoulders ever since that night and now, thanks to Eve, that weight had been lifted. A part of him wanted to thank her and celebrate to express his gratitude. “After everything I’ve told you, I thought that I’d be the one scaring you away.” Javí sang out in jest, but his fears rang true. 

“I’ve dealt with my fair share of scary men.” Eve smirked as she turned him around to face the shower and wrapped her arms around his waist. She wanted to keep talking, but couldn’t resist playfully peppering kisses along his back and splaying her hand over his lower tummy. Eve could have easily spent her entire life like this with him, but wanted to earn it first. “And you, Peña, don’t even make the top ten...or top twenty, actually.” 

“Funny, I don’t really find you knowing that many scary men as reassuring as you intended it to be.” Javí puffed out a lighthearted laugh as he turned around in her arms and collected her wet hair in his hands and held it together at the base of her neck and looked into her eyes. “Jack was it? Was he one of those scary men?”

“He was.” Eve whispered, flinching when her confession caused a primal anger to flash behind Javíer’s brown eyes. “He was happy about the baby at first. But when I told him that I was leaving him, he...he didn’t take it well. He wasn’t always scary, though. In the beginning, he was great.”

“I can’t tell you how many women with black eyes I’ve interviewed who’ve said that very same thing.” Javí’s jaw clenched at the thought of any man raising his hand to Eve.

“Looking back, there was a lot of controlling bullshit from the beginning that I just put up with. We were both busy people, so it was easy to shake it off and rationalize it. But Jack only hit me once.” Eve admitted with a dark look in her eye. “He just snapped when I tried to break up with him. His eyes went cold and he hit me in the fucking stomach like I was the stupid old punching bag he had in his garage...it happened so fast. I couldn’t believe it.” Eve looked away, letting the shower concealed a fresh wave of tears. “Luckily, the baby was fine. Then two weeks later we were picking out china patterns and doing engagement interviews for the press like nothing had happened.”

“How in the fuck could your parents expect you to go through with marrying a man like that?” Javíer exasperatedly asked, frustrated with a situation that didn’t have anything to do with him. 

“I didn’t tell them, I felt stupid for being with a man like that in the first place.” Eve sadly shrugged. “But don’t get me wrong, it wouldn’t have made a difference. My parents would step on anyone’s throat to get what they want; even their daughter’s. Turns out, Jack’s dad was a key vote that they needed on a bill.”

“A bill?”

“I’ll spare you the details.” Eve groaned. “It was just some pointless tax bill that would make rich people even richer. That’s the deal they cut behind my back.”

“And they’d sell their daughter out for that?”

“Noble cause, right?” Eve scoffed. “They claimed they were only doing what’s best for me. _‘Jack was going places and men like that don’t come around everyday.’”_ Eve mimicked her father’s distinct deep voice. “And my mom insisted that I needed to settle down and give my baby a family. She married my dad to get ahead, and she’s always wanted me to follow in her footsteps.”

“Fuck that.” Javí snapped, getting more and more frustrated with her family.

“But I’ll always remember laying on the floor with the wind knocked out of me.” Eve added in a far away voice. “I was so scared for my baby girl; I could barely breathe. But Jack just started confessing to every fucked up thing that he’s ever done like some kind of movie villain. Turns out that on top of switching out my birth control pills, he had also been cheating on me with some reporter and had no intention of ending things with her. Or letting me and family connections go. I had no idea what he was capable of.”

 _“Lo juro por Dios. Si alguna vez pongo mis manos sobre ese hijo de puta.”_ Javí muttered under his breath (**I swear to god, if I ever get my hands on that motherfucker) Javíer was seething with rage and if they weren’t in the shower he could have punched the nearest wall in anger. But Eve winced and he hated that his anger might have scared her. “I’ll never hurt you, you know that right? I need you to know that.”

“Baby, I know.” Eve insisted with a lighthearted whine as she playfully shook him a little bit to try and snap him out of it. 

“I must sound like a broken record.” Javíer grinned down at her. Eve’s playfulness seemingly lowered his blood pressure like magic. He couldn’t help but wonder what his darkest days would have been like if she had been there to save him from the brink of despair.

“I like hearing it, though.” Eve sweetly smiled up at him running her hand up the column of his throat, stopping to play with his wet hair on the back of his neck. “It never gets old; probably because I believe you.”

Javíer placed his lips to her forehead but waited a long moment before he kissed her. It was at that moment that Javíer discovered that he would easily risk his life to protect her. It was so easy, it didn’t even feel as though it were a decision in the first place.

“Tell me more, baby.” Javí uttered against her skin. “I want to know all about your life before Colombia. How did you and Jack meet?”

“Some fancy fundraiser. We were both in the back, laying low. See, in the beginning,” Eve started slowly, knowing that Javíer’s curiosity could turn to protectiveness in a heartbeat. “Jack and I had so much in common. His father is a big name politician, too.”

“As big as your old man?”

“Ummm.” Eve considered for a moment. “No, but he’s getting there. But looking back, Jack just pretended to hate the scene as much as I did. It was perfect for awhile. I had someone to complain to...someone who seemed to get me. For a minute I really thought that I could love him one day.”

“But?”

“But then I began to hate my job.” Eve admitted as she started to chew on her thumbnail. “And I stupidly told my mother; who then promptly sold me out to my dad. I should have known that something was up when my father suddenly took an interest in a man that I was dating. And...well,...my dad did, what my dad always does.” Eve shrugged.

“Which is?”

“Instead of talking to me about work, he got his hooks into my boyfriend and got him to do his dirty work.” Eve dryly sang out. “Before I knew it, Jack wasn’t interested in being a public defender anymore. All of a sudden he wanted to run for office with _me_ by his side. _Me!_ Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Not interested in becoming a politician’s little wifey, I take it?” 

“Fuck no.” Eve blurted out, making Javi puff out a small laugh as he listened to her rant. “And if I quit my job, where would that leave him? Oh, and would you look at that?” Eve feigned surprise. “ _The honourable Senator Marcus Capshaw from the great state of blah blah blah.”_ Eve mocked her father’s voice again while Javi continued to smirk at her animated way of storytelling. _“Well, Jacky my boy. I’d be honoured if you’d let me take you under my wing. I see a lot of potential in you, with my Evelyn’s help I see a bright future for both of our families. Welcome to the family, son.”_

Eve groaned and looked away. Ashamed that she had ever been attracted to a man like that. Jack had been clever and charming but it was disgusting how easily distracted he could be by bright and shiny promises of power. But maybe getting her father’s to help him with his career had been Jack’s grand plan all along. Eve felt stupid for not seeing him for the opportunistic bastard he was.

“I hated the idea of ending up with a man like my father. It was an instant turnoff and Jack and I started fighting all the time.” Eve sighed. “That was probably the beginning of the end for us. He must have sensed it too, because a little while later I got pregnant.”

“He tricked you into getting pregnant.” Javí corrected her.

“True.” Eve nodded. “But Jack’s plan backfired, big time. All I could see was history repeating itself for my baby and I couldn't let her have the same childhood that I had. She deserved a better life somewhere where she wasn’t just pawn in a stupid political game. I wanted to give her a _family;_ not a dynasty. I knew that I had to quit my job and start over somewhere new. ”

“Your writing job?” Javí tried to clarify.

“No.” Eve couldn’t look him in the eye anymore and chewed on her bottom lip. “I mean, yes. Writing was a part of my job, too. But,” Here goes nothing, Eve bravely told herself. “I was on the fast track to making partner in one of the biggest consulting firms in DC.”

“I’m sorry, I still don’t understand.” Javíer shook his head as he tried to make sense of things. “That’s your big secret? What’s so bad about that?”

“We were the best in Washington.” Eve informed him. “Which means that we were _the worst.”_

“What were you consulting on?” Javí asked in a low voice as he studied her face. He quickly kissed before he brushed her wet hair away from her face and positioned them better under the spray of the shower so she wouldn’t be cold since the hot water was running out. 

“Public relations, mostly.” Eve uttered as she chewed on her bottom lip. “Crisis management. Some strategic campaign strategies. All on the down low.”

“That doesn’t sound that bad.” Javíer cocked his head to the side, trying to downplay her old profession.

“Trust me, it was that bad. I wish you understood. I don’t deserve _this._ ” Eve gestured between the two of them. Without finishing, Eve turned the shower off and handed Javí a towel before she wrapped one around her and headed into her bedroom. Javíer wrapped his towel around his waist and followed. Watching her pace her bedroom as he leaned against the doorframe. She was so hard to read sometimes.

“Okay.” Javíer started to summarize when she wouldn’t elaborate. “Judging by your reaction, this job is why you think you’re some kind of terrible person.” Javi waited for her to nod before he continued. “So you were a political consultant, right?” Eve nodded again and Javí looked down at Murphy Muffins at his feet and let out a deep sigh. The little guy looked just as confused as he did. “That makes sense. You’re smart, you can think on your feet. And, most importantly, you grew up surrounded by politicians. They probably trusted you because of your parents. In the few conversations that we’ve had, you can clearly speak their language.”

“Better than my Spanish.” Eve muttered under her breath.

“And all of that would have given you an insight that would’ve made you really good at your job.” Javíer continued as he tried to piece everything together. 

“I was.” Eve admitted with humility. “Unfortunately.”

“So if that asshole wanted to run for office.” Javíer began to realize in real time. “You’d be an ace up his sleeve. No wonder he was so desperate to hold on to you. Between you and your parents, he’d have a serious advantage.”

“But I just couldn’t do it anymore.” Eve’s voice cracked as she shook her head. “Not for him, not even for my parents. I just wish that I quit sooner. Over a decade of my life; just wasted.”

“Did something happen to make you suddenly want to quit?” Javí asked, the investigator in him couldn’t help but push to get answers. The fact that Eve let her towel fall to the floor, still couldn’t hinder his curiosity at this point. 

“We’re really gunna do this, aren’t we.” Eve asked, more of a statement than a question. 

When Javí solemnly nodded his head, Eve walked over to him, naked as the day she was born, and left a loving kiss on his lips. Javí held her face in his hands and tenderly kissed her back and savoured the taste of her mouth. For as lovely as it was, there was something deeper in her sudden kiss that confused the hell of him. 

“I just want to remember what that felt like.” Eve whispered against his lips as she rubbed her nose against his and breathed in his scent. God, she really could fall in love with this man, she thought to herself. Eve almost had that elusive feeling in her grasp. It was so close and she wasn’t ready to give up until she finally experienced it. 

“You’re scaring the hell out of me, Capshaw.” Javíer admitted, his voice near a whisper. “And I’ve walked into shootouts, outnumbered, without breaking a sweat.”

“We don’t have to do this, you know.” Eve quickly reconsidered. “We can just stick to small talk and hot sex. We can hold on to the perfect image we have of each other. Nothing has to change.”

“Every minute that I’m with you my feelings for you grow and change.” Javí blurted out. “Look at me, Eve, I’m serious.” Eve obliged him and looked him in the eye and for a second Javíer saw the rest of his life looking back at him. Forever with Eve hit him so hard that his footing nearly gave out. “I have no right to demand perfection from you. But I want as much of you as you’re willing to give me.” Javíer declared with a certainty that pulled at her heartstrings. “I want to do this.” He stated as he gestured between the two of them. “Tell me what happened...please, baby.” 

“You want this?” Eve clarified as she mimicked his gesture. “Are you sure?”

“Unless you’re going to tell me that you really are some kind of serial killer.” Javíer puffed out a small laugh that, for the first time, she refused to share with him. “Yes. I want to see where this thing between us can go. Keep in mind, this could all be a disaster...but I’ve never felt this way before. But I’m ready for it. I’m ready for all of it.”

Javíer quickly regretted laying his heart on the line when he couldn’t read Eve’s expression. But little did he know, his bravery had given her the courage she needed.

“E. Benjamin, was … well, it still is my pen name. My editor thought I’d be taken more seriously if the public thought I was a man...but he was probably just trying to protect me and hide my identity as much as he could.” Eve tried not to ramble as she combed her fingers through her wet hair and tried to gather her thoughts. “Wes has always looked out for me like that.”

“Benjamin. After your brother?” Javí asked as he tried to follow along and not be distracted by her body.

“He would have hated what I used his name for.” Eve whined, but quickly cleared her throat and tried to bury down her guilt long enough to get her words out. “But I was headhunted by my firm pretty young. I did a biography for a family friend that did really well. Those stupid books are basically what I’m known for, but they might as well have been straight fiction. No one was paying me to write the truth about them.”

“Figured as much.”

“But then I went on to write think pieces and opinion articles. Even a few speeches that did really well.” Eve listed her accomplishments while she found Javí’s white dress shirt to cover herself up with and rolled up the sleeves in an attempt to make it fit her a little better. He did tell her that morning that he’d need it back, but wearing his clothing made her feel a little better, if only superficially.

“I proved early on that I could play ball. And that I was really good at crafting believable and useful bullshit.” Eve shrugged. “It was addicting in the beginning. I was so eager for a pat on the head. Especially when I liked the politician I was helping. It was easy to lie to myself and pretend that I was one of the good guys.”

“None of this sounds so terrible.” Javí tried to catch her eyes and charm her into making her smile. But his heart dropped when it wasn’t as easy as it usually was to make her happy.

“Essentially, I laundered people’s images. And good people, understandably, never needed my services.” Eve explained. “It was a game at first. A challenge. _A game?”_ Eve repeated, only this time to herself as she shook her head and got disgusted with herself all over again. “A fucking game. Like a spoiled little rich girl having fun playing with people’s lives...so fucking pathetic.”

“You got paid for that?”

“Bet your sweet ass, I did!” Eve bitterly exclaimed, hating herself more and more. “You’d be surprised how much money wealthy people will throw at you to make their problems go away. And I was one of the best.”

“What the fuck does this have to do with anything, Eve?” Javí sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. If he didn’t care about her so much, Javí could have strangled her. Eve was fidgeting and pacing his room the same way that she had when she was anxious about her blind date. He hated that she was so frazzled, but he couldn’t help her until he knew the whole story. “None of this is as bad as you think it is, Eve.”

“I cleaned up for _monsters,_ Javí.” Eve trembled as she tried to make him understand. “While you were putting monsters in prison, I fought on their side. And every monster seemed to get bigger than the next. I ghost wrote their stupid autobiographies for them and my team glossed over all of their crimes and made them look like downright heroes! I was really good at it, too. They all trusted me because of my dad, and confessed to things that still keep me up at night...but I did my job, and I did it beautifully.” 

“So you wrote some books and articles about old white politicians? So what. _They_ were the monsters that hurt people. You didn’t hurt anyone.” Javí tried to reassure her. But Eve stopped in her tracks and sadly shook her head and Javí’s heart dropped when he realized that wasn’t the case.

“Sure,” Eve shrugged, her pain radiating from her in waves that Javi could have sworn he felt along with her. “I didn’t personally point a gun at anyone. But people got hurt. A lot of people. I don’t even know where to start; I’ve had so many clients over the years. One of the worst was a representative that got re-elected and sat by while a whole neighbourhood in his district got poisoned. Over 65 people got some form of cancer because he was paid off to look the other way.”

“Come on.” Javí scoffed. “How can you be so sure that he got reelected because of you and your book?”

“Polling.” Eve volunteered. “We timed the release and the marketing to coincide with his campaign strategies. My firm squashed various negative stories that popped up and paid the right people not to talk… or hired them.” She huffed. “My book fed into his media image and seemed to take on a life of its own. By the time that I was done with him, you’d think he was a fucking nobel peace prize winning movie star. No one dared to challenge his image when people started getting sick.”

“But you didn’t know that he was going to poison people.”

“Oh, of course not!” Eve nearly shouted. “But would it have made a difference?” Eve looked him in the eye, searching for any signs that she was getting through to him. “I ask myself that all the time. Would I still have taken him on as a client if I had any idea of what he was capable of?”

“I don’t think you would have...but I’ve been wrong before.” Javí sighed. He hated that she had been a part of that world. Politics was such an ugly business on its best day. But Eve had been neck deep into the darker side of it all for most of her adult life. Not just as an innocent observer but as a major player. It was a hard pill for Javí to swallow, but he tried to keep an open mind. Because, even now, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from caring about her. 

“But that’s not the worst of it.” Eve whispered, bracing herself for the fallout. “A friend of my brother’s... he was my breaking point. That monster was accused of raping one of his interns a year ago.”

“Jesus.” Javí muttered. He wasn’t sure what was coming, but when he tried to reach out to hold her she shook him off and refused his comfort. She didn’t feel worthy of his understanding, and it broke his heart. 

“What the fuck was I thinking?” Eve whined as she looked around the room as if searching for divine answers. “Mitigating the public relations damage was so fucking fun to me. I didn’t have a side, Democrat or Republican, it didn’t matter. All that I cared about was trying to shape public opinion and riding the high of the scandal. But if I could pull this off _-for a fucking lowlife rapist-_ then...then what? Then I was the best bullshit artist in Washington? What a fucking prize.”

“What did you do for your brother’s friend?” Javí quietly asked but found himself afraid to hear the truth. There was really so much about her that he didn’t know.

“I wrote a 12 chapter dissertation on what a pillar of the community that frat boy asshole was and how he had always been a champion for women’s rights.” Eve paced around her bedroom with little Murphy following her around as she ranted. “I made an art out of not technically lying, but telling enough truth to make all of the bullshit believable. I finished it before the charges were officially filed. But it was ALL bullshit. But, by god, did his campaign ever take my artfully crafted pile of shit and run with it. Then my firm went into his past and paid off pretty much every woman that he’s ever said hello to. He was never even indicted. He went on to win his election by twelve fucking points!”

“Politicians.” Javí huffed in disgust. “So what are you now? I mean other than my personal secretary. Which has gotta be a temporary gig. So what are your plans?” 

“I dunno, it depends who you ask.” Eve bitterly chuckled. “According to my father, I’m just on a lengthy sabbatical. He still thinks that I’ll be back and better than before. He claims that I just need a break to get over losing the baby and the ‘unpleasantness’ with Jack. But my mother. Well, she’s always had a better relationship with the truth; she claims that I’m simply a waste.”

“Eve.”

“No, this one is on me. I’m the snake, don’t you see? My mother is right, I am a fucking waste; only not for the reasons that she thinks! That’s what I’m trying to get you to understand.” Eve challenged him as she stood in front of him and squared her shoulders. “I got on the New York Times Best Seller List, for the fourth time...and then she killed herself while I was popping champagne with my editor.”

“Who?” Javí swallowed hard as his heart dropped in his chest. “The intern?”

Eve slowly nodded her head as her bottom lip trembled. “She had a young son…I think about him all the time.”

“Oh, fuck.” Javí cursed. He empathized with Eve so strongly but had no idea what to say to make her feel better. It reminded him of the conversation that he had with Churcho back home in Texas. Javíer never elaborated on the ugliness he had seen in Colombia because he knew his father wouldn’t have the words to comfort him either. “I’m so sorry, Eve.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me.” Eve demanded with a sharpness in her voice that made Javí stand up a little straighter. “I knew what I was doing. Sure, I didn’t want people to get hurt, but they did. What’s worse...I didn’t even wonder if he was guilty. I was so focused on winning, I didn’t even take two seconds to consider that she might have been telling the truth.” Eve’s voice began to crack but she managed to barely hold it together to add. “I’ll never forgive myself for that... _never.”_

This was too much; even for him. Javí sympathized with her so strongly and identified with her pain in a way that physically hurt if he dwelled on it for too long. Javíer’s head began spinning when he realized that yesterday he had been certain that the two of them had been a classic case of opposites attracting. Not only had he and Eve had come from such very different worlds, but Eve was so silly and full and life, and he was - well, _him._

But now, as Javí let Eve’s confession sink in, he realized that they were more alike than he ever could have imagined. As he looked at her, Javier could feel his heart opening and there was a part of him that knew he’d always remember that moment. It felt like a key slipping perfectly into a lock. What that key was unlocking inside of him was powerful, but he just couldn’t seem to identify exactly what was happening.

As disappointed as Javí was in her past career, there was no turning back for him. He’d carried so much guilt and regret in his heart, he never thought that he could take on someone else’s, as well. But that was before Eve.

Murphy was right. Some people just fit.

“But I take it you’re not playing those shitty Washington games anymore.” Javíer asked as he rubbed the heels of his palms against his eyes. He stubbornly refused to let her see the tears in his eyes.

“Like I said. It just got to be too much, you know” Eve nearly whispered but Javíer hung on her every word. “It stopped feeling like a game after she killed herself. It got so heavy and I broke under the weight of it all. I just shattered...I’m _still_ shattered. But the worst part was; I walked away from it all and I never paid for any of it. I never used my real name. My editor is an old friend and he’s bent over backwards to shield me from any blowback. I just walked away. Can’t you see why I don’t deserve any of this...any of this stuff that's happening between us?”

“Eve, as much as you hate what you did, you didn’t break any laws.” Javí crossed his arms against his chest as he explained. “It’s our job, as law enforcement, to be better. We have to be better than the criminals. To be better than the defence lawyers. And even to be better than the whole Washington spin machine. Not nailing those bastards was on law enforcement; not you.”

“I understand what you’re saying.” Eve sighed as she turned her back to him and looked out her bedroom window onto the street. People were just beginning their day, fitting since Eve hoped that she and Javí were on the cusp of a new beginning, as well “Sometimes I tell myself the same thing. But, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really make me feel any better.”

“You made a mistake...hell, probably a lot of mistakes.” Javí conceded as he ran his hand down his face. He took a deep breath and committed to memory how beautiful her silhouette looked as the sun shone through the window, giving her shape a heavenly glow. “I’m no stranger to fucking up. But you stopped, Eve. And you stopped all on your own, that has to count for something.” Javí pleaded to her back. “Fuck, can’t you see. You didn’t wait to get caught or exposed before you to realize that what you were doing was wrong. You made the right call by quitting and you’re still hating yourself?”

“Don’t try and make me feel better, Javíer.” Eve sniffed, finally letting the tears welling up in her eyes fall down her cheeks. “I appreciate what you’re doing...but…”

Javí could sense her tears and walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her shoulder when her voice began to break. He couldn’t even describe how good it felt when she leaned her back against his chest and let him comfort her. If this wasn’t love then Javí wasn’t sure he was strong enough to handle the real thing. 

“But I want to make you feel better, cariño .” Javí whispered against the shell of her ear before he kissed the back of her head. “Please let me.”

“At first I didn’t think I could have you because you were my boss.” Eve confessed as she savoured the warmth of his body while she looked out the window onto the street. “But the longer I got to know you, Javí...I tried to push you away because of the way you look at me. You look at me...you look at me like I’m _worthy_ and I can’t take it.”

“Shh, princesa.” Javí cooed as he held her tighter. “I know what it’s like to hate yourself. To hate the things you’ve done.”

Maybe this was why he had been drawn to her so strongly, Javí considered as he looked passed her shoulder and out onto the busy street. Sure, Eve was beautiful and had a joyous way about her that made him smile. But he had always felt that there was something deeper about her that he identified with. Maybe this was it. This was unfamiliar territory for him and he had no idea what to do next. He was just thankful that she was letting him hold her.

“At least you had a good reason.” Eve insisted as she tried to swallow down her sobs and act tougher than she felt. “Especially in the early days here, you were up against so much with the Escobar. You used whatever resources you could. In the end, you did unethical things to stop an evil man. It’s not great, obviously, but I could never fault you for that. You were doing the best you could at the time.”

“But can’t you see, Eve, you grew up in that world.” Javí pointed out. He took a deep breath before he turned her around to face him, wiping away her tears with the pads of his thumbs as he cupped her beautiful sad face in his hands. He just had to make her understand. “It was all you knew. But you stopped and walked away from it. And I’m so proud of you for that.” This was the first time that Javíer had really brought up anything to do with her family and Eve hung on his every word. “Is that why you didn’t want to file a police report the other night?”

“Sorta.” Eve bitterly laughed as she playfully groaned and rolled her eyes. “After I cancelled the wedding, I’m supposed to be laying low here. Being out alone at night - Jack would have twisted it into something ugly that proved I was a terrible person. Or worse, he could have used it as an excuse to fly down here to ‘ _check up on me.’_ God, I can’t believe that I told you all of this. I’m way too sober right now.”

“It’s not even noon yet.” Javí chuckled at her as he left a trail of kisses. First her forehead, then her nose and chin. “Maybe after we find ourselves some food.”

“You’re being so good about this.” Eve praised with a trace of awe in her voice. “I just don’t really know how to accept it. People aren’t usually nice to me for the right reasons.”

“I’m not in a position to judge you, Eve.” Javíer hummed as he tucked some of her hair behind her ear and gazed into her big blue eyes. “I meant what I said before. You stopped all on your own. I respect the hell out of that. It takes so much courage to walk away from a career that you’ve built for yourself.”

“That’s all it takes to be forgiven?” Eve scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “Can it really be that simple?” 

“No, but...you see, it’s so easy to keep making the wrong choices.” Javíer replied, probably speaking more about himself than her. “Especially when those choices keep working out for you and you’re never held accountable.” 

“I feel like I have so much to make up for...I don’t know where to start.” Eve muttered as she shook her head.

“I know how you feel, baby.” Javí sighed as he pressed her against his chest and buried his nose in her hair. “Maybe we can figure that out together, huh?”

“You still want me?” Eve mumbled into his chest. Not wanting to see his face like a coward. “If you want to leave, I won’t blame you. I think a part of me has been waiting for you to hate me ever since we met.” 

“I don’t hate you, Eve.” Javí vowed with nothing but raw honesty in his voice. “I want you. I want us. God, do I ever want us, baby.”

“I want us, too.”

“We’re two very imperfect people.” Javí stated the obvious with a deep sigh. “But you mean more to me then your mistakes...so much more.”

“Right back at cha, Peña.” Eve giggled against his chest, finally feeling a little better. It was far easier to joke than to address her true feelings for him. “I’m sorry that I’m more than you bargained for. I hate the idea of adding so much drama into your life.”

“Shhh.” Javí hummed as he held her closer. “I’ve wanted something like this for so long. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Let’s go back to bed, baby.” Eve suggested but started laughing when he looked down and gave her a questioning eyebrow. “As your personal secretary, I’d like to remind you that we have that event tonight.” Eve smirked at him. “I’ve been crying all morning like a toddler having a sugar crash meltdown. I’m going to look hideous if I don’t get some rest.”

“It’s hilarious that you believe for one second that you could actually look hideous.” Javí jested as he grinned down at her.

Javí believed that he had been humouring Eve when he crawled back into bed with her. Content to play hooky from work from the first time in ages and comfort her after everything that they had been through that morning. But soon, Javíer had fallen fast asleep with Eve’s head on his chest and little Murphy Muffins curled up in a ball on his shoulder purring against his neck. Dreaming dreams of a life with the two of them far away from Colombia.

\------------------------


	15. A Little Slice of Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javier and Eve have a normal day today as a couple. They even having their very first fight.

The much needed nap that Javíer and Eve had been enjoying was interrupted an hour later. Emily and Molly had made good on their promise to outfit Eve and little Murphy Muffins with everything a new kitten would need.

Eve rubbed her eyes when she heard Emily calling for her from her door. She didn’t think her friend would be back so quickly. Emily really did have her shit together; Eve was impressed.

Eve slowly raised her head from Javí’s chest and watched him sleep for a moment. After spilling her heart out, Eve didn’t want to take one second with him for granted. Was it too soon to fantasize about waking up with him like this everyday? She just loved how peaceful he looked as he slept. His peace of mind was becoming more and more important to her the more she cared about him and got to know him.

Eve had been under the impression that she had done a fairly decent job of not waking him when she carefully slid off the bed; only to have him jump up and grab her arm at the last second to mess with her.

“You scared the hell out of me you jackass!” Eve giggled while Javíer roared with laughter and pulled her back on top of him.

“You shoulda saw your face.” Javíer laughed, looking at least ten years younger. “For a second there I thought you were gunna scream.”

“The last thing you want is Emily breaking down the door and rushing in here to save me. She’d do it too.” Eve laughed as Javíer playfully challenged her and started to poke and tickle her sides. “Stop! Or I’ll scream for her and you’ll be screwed...on second thought, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Looking out for me now?” Javí grinned from her pillow with Eve laying flat on top of him. Being silly with her came so easily; he barely recognized himself sometimes.

“Somebody’s gotta.” Eve teased. Javí stopped tickling her sides and instead decided to rest his hands on her butt while the two of them caught their breath. “Emily is pretty tough, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Lucky to have you save me then, huh?”

“I never noticed how patchy your beard is.” Eve observed as she rubbed her nose against his before she kissed his bottom lip. The truth was, they’ve hardly spent any time together outside of the office. It was nice to see him look less put together and professional; it was intimate to see this side of him.

“Yeah, I gotta shave.” Javí looked away and ran his hand over his stubble.

“No, don’t.” Eve playfully whined as there was another knock at the door with Molly now impatiently calling out her name. “One minute!” Eve called out to the Feistls. “Shave later. I like it.”

“You like it?” Javí scoffed, not believing her.

“Yup.” Eve grinned as she held his chin and moved his face to the side. “Especially this spot right here.”

“Umm?” Javí questioned as he slowly ran his large hands up and down her back. “And what’s so special about that spot, huh?”

“This is my spot...righhhht here.” Eve informed him as she pressed her lips to a small pronounced bare spot along his jaw. His hands on her back caused a warm feeling to spread throughout her whole body and Eve couldn’t stop smiling like an over eager idiot.

“Okay then.” Javí shyly smiled as she traced her fingertips around the area that she had claimed. “I guess you can have that spot.”

“Really? I can have it!” Eve exclaimed like a little kid to tease him. “Why thank you, Agent Peña. I promise to treasure it always.”

“Go get rid of your friend.” Javí pointed to the door with his chin and slapped her butt with both hands. “Dork.”

“I heard that.” Eve winked as she jumped off her bed and threw on her big blue fluffy robe that was covered with white clouds and had a large rainbow across the back. Laughing to herself when Javíer muttered something under his breath about her proving his point by dressing like a twelve year old again. 

At this point, Javíer had become a pro at hiding out in Eve’s bedroom. He kept quiet while Molly banged away on the piano and Eve thanked Emily for all of the kitten’s new stuff. But fortunately (for Javíer, at least) Emily Feistl’s newfound allergies kept their visit fairly short.

“Well, Murphy is all set.” Eve informed him as she strolled back into her bedroom with little Murphy close on her heels. “We can go out and get something to eat if you want. Murph has his new food and water bowls all set up. He even jumped right into his litter box and did his thing. So I’m guessing it’s safe to leave him here alone for awhile.”

“Good, cause I’m starving.” Javí let out a small roar as he stretched not really wanting to leave her comfy bed. 

“Are you sure you don't want to go into work today?” Eve considered out loud as she checked her alarm clock. They’d only missed two hours of the workday, he could easily sneak back in without causing too much of a stir. He was the boss, after all. “It’s not like you to play hooky like this. Maybe you should go in and check to see if Dan and Chris have found anything.”

“Trying to get rid of me?” Javí smirked as he sat up and continued to stretch and roll his neck from side to side. He had his satellite phone and trusted his men to keep in contact. For all of the turmoil they had gone through in the last few hours, Javí couldn’t remember feeling more rested. He could really get used to this.

“No...but.” Eve started, but hesitated and began chewing on her thumbnail. “Never mind.”

“Eve.” Javí admonished as softly as he could. He could read her like a book and knew she was trying to put some distance between them again. He hated it when she did that. 

“I just want you to be sure.” Eve admitted with a deep sigh. 

“Sure about what?”

“Well, _me._ ” Eve squeaked with a pained expression as if she were dangerous goods. “This whole morning has been absolutely nuts. Maybe you should go into the office. Or just take some time for yourself, you know, away from...well, away from _me.”_

“Eve.” Javí replied softly to try and calm her down and not spook her. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Just hear me out, Jav.” Eve interjected. “Between us working together, living right next door to each other; not to mention the fact that we’re now sleeping together...maybe you need a breather to just think this through. I’ll miss you, but I can give you all the time you need to get right with this.”

“I don’t need to take some time, Eve.” Javí nearly laughed. She was right though, it wasn’t like him to voluntarily take a day off work. But little did Eve know, Javí had a whole afternoon planned for the two of them. He wanted to take her to all of his favourite places and show her the city that he had grown to love over the years. Maybe they could even act like a normal couple for a few hours before they had to attend the embassy dinner and pretend to be strangers. 

“Yes you do, Javíer.” Eve fought back. Suddenly convinced that she would end up losing him otherwise. “You need to think this over. Our connection is, oh man, you know what our connection feels like. You just have to look at me a certain way to make me go all dizzy.”

“Thanks? I think.” Javí tried to tease. “Why do you make it sound like such a bad thing? I love the way you make me feel.”

“I love it, too. But I’ll just end up distracting you.” Eve pointed out as if it were common knowledge. “You’re still processing all of this...all of the things that I’ve done.”

“Are you hoping that I’ll change my mind?”

“Not hoping…” Eve started, but trailed off when she couldn’t come up with the right words. “I just didn't expect you to be taking all of this so well. But -” Eve stopped when Javíer started to frown at her.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” He muttered, annoyed that she could read him so easily.

“You look like someone kicked your puppy.” Eve pointed out. “I’m just trying to look out for you. You’re not the bad guy in this scenario. I am.”

“Stop it with that.” Javí snapped as he jumped out of her bed and started to aggressively get dressed. He desperately needed a coffee and a smoke; not to mention maybe five fucking minutes without being reminded of what she had been capable of in the past. His first impulse was to protect her, but how could he possibly hope to defend her from the negative way she saw herself. “I mean it. Stop talking about yourself like that.”

“I know you.” Eve insisted, but reconsidered after remembering that they hadn't really known each other for that long. “Well,... I know enough about you to know that accepting what I used to do can’t be easy. I saw it in your eyes when Martin and Peterson showed up. You hate all this Washington bullshit and I honestly don’t blame you. I hate it now, too. I just don’t get it. How can you be so okay with the fact that I used to specialize in said bullshit?”

“I’m not!” Javí yelled a little louder than he had intended. “Of course I’m not okay with it!” He ran both of his hands through his hair and tried to calm down but he just couldn't reign himself in and kept on yelling like an idiot. “Look, don’t tell me how I feel. I hate what you used to do. I really fucking hate it, okay. There I said it. But the kind of person you described is not the person standing in front of me right now, is it?”

“No.” Eve gulped. “I mean...I don’t think so. But I ask myself that all the time. I’m still me, though...for whatever that’s worth.”

“I don’t like it.” Javíer admitted, only this time a little softer since he hated the look of shame in Eve’s eyes. “But it doesn’t mean that I don’t want you in my life. It doesn’t mean that all of a sudden you stopped mattering to me. You’re still the same adorable pain in the ass you were yesterday.”

“You think I’m adorable?” Eve asked with a twinkle in her eye. Clearly amused with him losing control and trying to reign himself in for her sake.

“And a pain in the ass.” Javí reminded her, relieved that she was cracking jokes again. Even if they were at his expense.

“You’re still processing everything.” Eve cautioned with a sympathetic smile. “I want us to work, remember. And that wont happen if I take advantage of you.”

“How in the fuck are you taking advantage of me?” Javí asked with genuine interest. Never in his life had he met a person so focused on treating him properly. It was throwing him for a loop.

“It’s tempting to just accept that you’re cool with everything when I know that there’s a good chance that deep down you aren’t.” Eve explained. “I want you...damn, Javí. I really want you.” Eve added with a small laugh. “Wanting you has never been a problem. I just know you’re going to compartmentalize everything that I just told you the way you did with Carrillo.”

“Now you can stop it right there, Evelyn.” Javí clenched his jaw so tight that the little veins in his temples became more prominent. He’d never used her full name before and it made all of the colour drain from Eve’s face. “Carrillo isn’t something that you can just casually bring up to make your point. You’re about to cross a serious line with me. Ask yourself if it’s worth it.”

“Please, Javí.” Eve sniffed as she fidgeted with her fingers. “You’re missing the point. You can’t make excuses for me and the things I’ve done. There are men that I’ve helped that if I hadn’t helped them, they couldn’t have gone on to meddle in other countries and start conflicts that have hurt entire populations of people for generations. I could have let nature take its course and let them twist in the wind. But I didn’t...”

“Jesus Christ, you’re not responsible for what they decided to do with their power.” Javíer argued, looking away as his heart thumped in his chest. It was maddening to discover how much he had truly met his match in Eve. Fighting with her tested his patience like nothing else.

A small voice in his head was telling Javí that it was probably because she was right. He had been guilty of compartmentalizing the darker side of people’s personalities; including his own. Eve shouldn’t have corrected herself, Javíer mused. Because she really did know him. But that also meant she knew just what buttons to push. He was not in the mood to face up to anymore hard truths that morning.

“Listen to yourself, baby.” Eve stood her ground, she just had to make him understand so that maybe he could forgive himself one day. “Then you weren’t responsible for what Carrillo decided to do with _his_ power.”

It felt as though Eve had knocked all of the air from his lungs with her observations. Javíer stood there on weak knees and had no idea what to say to that. But what had stunned both of them was how Javíer didn’t bother responding. Instead, he turned on his heel and left her standing there; mumbling something about seeing her later that night at the embassy function they had to attend. 

“Well, Murph.” Eve sighed down to her new kitten. “That really fucking sucked, huh? Looks like you come from a broken home, little guy.”  
\------------------------  
An hour later, Eve let out a loud groan when there was another knock on her door. Even though she had dressed, after the fight she had with Javíer, Eve was not in the mood for visitors. She ignored the knock and opted to stay on the couch and cuddle with her new kitten instead. But Murphy must have known who was at the door and jumped out of her lap and headed for the door and started to whine.

“Come on.” Javíer called out through the door. He knew she was in there, he could hear Lauren Hill playing through the walls. “I’m taking you to get some food. Your mother’s right, you’re too skinny.”

“You really think taking my mother’s side on anything, is going to get you back on my good side?” Eve teased as she pushed herself off the couch and opened the door. It was great to see Javí dressed in street clothes for once. Those dress shirts and blazers did nothing to showcase his arms and neck. Eve’s eyes travelled down his body and once she caught a glimpse of him in a pair of tight blue jeans, she had almost forgotten why she was upset with him in the first place.

“Too cheesy?” Javí asked as he took his hand from behind his back and presented her with a small humble bouquet of flowers. The ones that he had picked out on the street corner by his favourite market paled in comparison to the ones that had recently been sent to her office by just about every high ranking politician at the embassy. 

But his flowers were fresh and colourful and had a wildflower aspect to them that reminded him of her. What the hell did he know about flowers? All he knew was that he regretted storming out earlier. After dressing, Javí left his apartment to smoke and grab a coffee but couldn’t stop thinking about her and what she had said. He found himself missing her and regretting how he had acted. He still didn’t know how to be the kind of boyfriend that Eve deserved, but didn’t want to show up empty handed after he had yelled at her.

“Oh, Jav.” Eve whispered in awe as she smelled them. “You saw my robe this morning. I love cheesy.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re the one that brought me flowers.” Eve smiled from the other side of her bouquet. “I should be thanking you, silly”

“Thank you for not wanting to take advantage of me.” Javí clarified in a low voice. “It means a lot to me. You’re right. I am still processing everything. But…” Javí added with a small shy smile. “I’m also still all in, Eve. Are you okay with both of those things happening at the same time?”

“Only if you keep being honest with me.” Eve replied after she thought about it for a moment. “Even if you’re feeling and thinking things that you think I don’t wanna hear. I don’t expect you to like my old job. Just… just don’t keep shit from me or pretend that it never happened, okay.”

“I can do that. Have you eaten?” Javí asked as he leaned against her door frame, smiling to himself when she mimicked his stance and leaned in closer to him. There were times that their connection was so strong that he could actually feel their pull. Almost like two magnets being drawn together. Javí could smell her sweet perfume and for a moment it felt like he was home.

“I had a Poptart.” Eve shrugged. “Want one? I don’t really cook.”

“Get your coat, Capshaw.” Javí ordered, unamused with her thinking that a Poptart was a suitable meal. 

“You didn’t shave yet.” Eve observed as she rushed to put her beloved flowers in water before they left.

“Nah, my girl likes the stubble.” Javí slyly smiled as he watched her in her kitchen from the doorway. “What can I say. She’s the only one I’m trying to impress today.”

“Let’s hit the road, Jav.” Eve grinned. “And for the record, I’m always very impressed with you.”  
\--------------------------------------

About five hours later, Javíer was rushing back into the embassy parking lot. Time had totally gotten away from them and they only had a little under an hour to get ready for the big embassy event. 

Well, Javí only needed maybe a few minutes to jump into his rented tux and comb his hair. But Eve was freaking out that she wouldn’t have enough time to glam herself up to her mother’s high standards.

“Door to door service, Ms. Capshaw.” Javí jested as he put his jeep into park. The whole parking lot was full due to the upcoming event and there was a busy energy around the embassy that they both could feel.

“Is it bad that I don’t want today to end?” Eve smiled over at him as she played with the curls on the back of his neck.

“We still have all night together, babe.” Javí grinned as he squeezed her thigh. Proud of himself for putting and keeping a smile on her face for the majority of the day. 

The two of them had talked about everything as they drove around the city and got a chance to unwind and really get to know each other without any distractions. Even though the two of them had led very different lives, Javí was impressed with how well they gelled together. They didn’t match up on every topic, but the more that he opened up to her, the more common ground they found. She was like a breath of fresh air that he just couldn’t get enough of.

He took her to Plaza Bolivar and they walked hand in hand as they enjoyed the architecture of the old cathedrals. Eve brought her camera and they took pictures of each other like a pair of tourists. Javíer truly had his guard down for the first time in ages. He didn’t even bother to correct a well meaning older lady who referred to Eve as his wife when she offered to take a picture of the two of them together. Or the waiter that commented on how lovely his wife was after Eve had over tipped him and the bartender at lunch.

Being someone’s boyfriend really seemed to suit him a lot more than he thought it would. Or maybe it was Eve that made it easy. Openly being her boyfriend in public made Javíer feel ten feet tall.

Not only did Javí love listening to her, he also found her extremely easy to open up to. The more time that they spent together the more that Javí had to accept the truth; their connection wasn’t just a fluke or something that solely existed inside the bedroom. Whatever was happening between them stopped feeling so fragile after their fight that morning. He really wanted to see where their relationship could go and found himself fantasizing about a life with her.

He had taken her to his favourite restaurant for lunch and Javí ate the green peppers off her plate when he discovered that she hated them. Only to have Eve giggle as she reached across the table and eat the olives that he had always despised out of his salad moments later. It was intimate and comfortable in a way that he never saw coming.

They both shared a laugh over how they had always loved greek food (namely greek salad) but never ordered the dish because they didn’t want to be a nuisance and order one without olives or green peppers. Eve flirted with him and joked that, now that they had found each other, it was a match made in heaven. 

Not to be outdone, Javí made her promise to always share one with him as he played footsie with her under the table. Seeing a future with someone was so new to him, but he decided to lean into that feeling instead of letting it freak him out. It helped that Eve appeared to understand where he was coming from and seemed to be going through something similar as their feelings for each other grew in real time.

It took all of Javíer’s self control to leave that restaurant after Eve found their old jukebox in the back. It was full of oldies that she loved and Eve insisted that they dance together in the back of the empty restaurant. Namely to an assortment of Rolling Stones, Elton John and Fleetwood Mac. Eve gave him her famous puppy dog eyes and Javí couldn’t help but cave in and let her have her way. The more he cared about her, the harder it was to refuse her anything. Besides, Wild Horses was one of his secret favourites and seemed to have a fitting vibe that mirrored how he was feeling about his new girlfriend. 

“Yeah, but you know what tonight is gunna be like.” Eve groaned. “I wanna stay in our bubble. I like being able to touch you whenever I want.” She added while she ran her nails along his scalp the way he liked.

“You do?” Javí coyly asked as he squeezed her leg a little harder. “I can’t wait to see what you bought, baby. Are you gunna wear it tonight?” Javí hummed as all manner of dirty thoughts danced through his mind. 

When the two of them toured the city, they passed a lingerie shop and Eve saw a great opportunity to mess with her man. She simply asked him what his favourite colour was and made him wait outside while she bought a few of the sexiest little red numbers they had. Javí humoured her as he patiently waited. But soon he found his own opportunity to turn the tables when they browsed a men's clothing store; picking out a short sleeved button up shirt when he discovered her favourite colour was pink. She didn’t think he would dare to wear the colour, but he loved the look on her face when he called her bluff.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.” Eve winked. “I love that you bought that pink shirt.” she grinned. “It looked so good on you, I should’ve bought it for you myself.”  
Javíer leaned in and left a chaste kiss to her jaw, nudging her chin with his nose to get better access to her neck. Her hair smelled like sunshine and Javí just wanted to forget about everything that wasn’t her and how beautiful she was.

“Someone might see, Jav.” Eve warned, effectively throwing cold water over his ego.

“And why is that so terrible?” Javí huffed as he pulled away further than he had to. “Ashamed to be seen with me?”

“Of course not, baby. Don’t be like that.” Eve pleaded with him. “After my mom is gone, things will be different. I know it sucks, but I’m just trying to protect you.”

“From your mother?” Javí nearly laughed.

“From my whole family.” Eve groaned. “I want to give us a chance to...I dunno, a chance to build something strong before I throw you into the lion's den.”

“Strong?” Javíer liked where she was going with this, he just wished that she trusted that he could handle her family. He’d been dealing with criminal masterminds for most of his adult life. He was sure he’d be able to handle a few career politicians.

“They were able to knock me and Jack over like a house of cards.” Eve admitted, breathing a little easier when Javí conceded and seemed to understand where she was coming from. “I’m not gunna let that happen to us, Jav. I want us to have something tougher that they can’t wreck so easily; because trust me, they’re gunna try.”

“Let ‘em.” Javíer boasted, ready to take on anyone or anything for her. 

“I don’t want to risk it. I don’t want to risk you.” Eve nearly whispered. “We’re getting there, though. Today was...today was the first day that I felt like myself in a really long time. Thank you, Jav.”

“I liked today.” Javí replied. “It felt...I dunno, it felt normal, I guess. But in a good way.”

“In a really good way.” Eve smiled, understanding exactly what he meant. In his line of work, sometimes a little slice of normal feels as close to peace as you can hope to get. “You’re not my dirty little secret. You matter to me and I’m not willing to take any chances. Even though making out with you in your Jeep like a couple of teenagers does sounds really appealing right now.”

Javíer couldn’t fault her for that and let out a deep sigh. He should have known that dating a woman like her wasn’t going to be easy; but Eve proved day after day that she was more than worth it.

“You really are making me soft, Peña.” Eve sweetly smiled at her grumpy old man. Eve admired his profile as he sat in the driver’s seat and digested everything that she had just said.

“What else can we do?” Javí asked as he looked out into the parking lot. “To, you know, to get _‘strong.’”_

“You’re asking the wrong girl. I’ve never had anything strong.” Eve readily admitted. “I don’t go all in like this. Even with Jack, I kept a wall up between us; which, in the end, turned out was for the best. But even before him, I’ve never even let myself fall in lov-” Eve bit her bottom lip and silently cursed herself for sharing too much. What man wants to hear that the woman they’re dating could be fundamentally broken in the romance department. 

“I don’t know if I’ve been in love either.” Javí confessed when he could feel her censoring herself. If she only knew how much he craved her authenticity she wouldn’t feel so embarrassed to confide in him. “I thought I was, but I was just a kid mimicking what I thought was expected of me. After that, I’d feel things from time to time. But I’d never let anything get too far. I just told myself that it wasn’t for me.”

“What about now?” Eve asked before she considered the consequences. What if Javíer couldn’t love her the way that she’s always wanted? Fitting considering her past. Maybe that was her punishment for all of the things she’s done.

“Now,” Javí let out a long deep sigh and ran his hands through his hair. “Now everything feels upside down. After Escobar...I don’t think I’m the same man that I was before. Ever since I met you, more and more things that I thought were impossible...seem more possible. I know that’s probably not the answer that you were hoping for.”

“It’s the best answer, Jav.” Eve beamed at him. He was keeping an open mind, what more could she want from him.

“Let’s get inside then, princesa.” Javí conceded. “Because I really need to kiss you right now.”

“Race you.” Eve blurted out with her trademarked mischievous twinkle in her eye. She had her door opened and was running towards their building with their shopping bags before he even had a chance to answer her. Her heart was racing after their conversation and it felt great to run in the crisp fresh air and let off some steam.

“Fuck.” Javí muttered to himself as he scrambled to catch up. But not before he took a quick look around to see if anyone would witness him making a fool out of himself for her. The coast was clear so he took the steps two at a time and managed to catch up to her in their hallway.

“Got cha!” Javí called out as he hooked his arm around her waist and lifted her feet off the ground.  
Eve squealed with laughter as she leaned her back against his chest and dropped her shopping bags on the floor by her apartment door.

“You have me. You’ve always had me.” Eve flirted, repeating what he had said to her the first time they slept together.

“We don’t have time, do we.” Javí groaned against the side of her neck. “The things I wanna do to you.”

“I have no idea how I’m going to pretend that I’m not yours tonight.” Eve admitted as she reached behind her and ran her hands through the back of his hair. “I’m not that great of an actress.”

“Go.” Javíer ordered without releasing his grip on her. “Go now or I’m going to fuck you against your door.”

“Promise?” Eve breathlessly called his bluff as she pushed her ass into his crotch. Feeling his cock grow harder when she suggestively wiggled against him as if she were giving him a lapdance.

“Fuck.” Javí cursed against her neck as he tightened his grip on her hips, encouraging her to keep moving against him. “You don’t play fair.”

“You love it.” Eve giggled. But soon her laughter turned into a low moan when Javíer began to leave wet open mouthed kisses along the side of her neck. Ever since she had confessed to still feeling her attacker's hand on the back of her neck, Javí seemed to be obsessed with loving away that feeling every chance he could.

“I do.” Javí admitted with a deep sigh. He reluctantly let her go, but smacked her ass hard enough to make her jump. “See you in an hour, princesa.”

“We can’t show up together.” Eve reminded him as she collected her bags. Earning her another frown from him. “This isn’t going to be for forever, baby. Besides,” Eve began as she turned to face him and ran her hand up the column of his throat and brushed his Adam's apple with her thumb. “This is a work thing and I don’t wanna cramp your style. Besides, everyone there is fucking their secretaries. Let’s not give the gossip mill more to work with. If you’re not sulking in the corner flirting with the cute wait staff, people will talk.”

“You really want me to take someone home?” Javíer teased as he puffed out a laugh. 

“Not unless you want me to drag the poor girl out of your bed by her hair.” Eve grinned back at him not meaning a single word of her threat. In all honesty, Eve didn’t know what she’d do if Javí decided to cheat on her, but blaming the woman involved didn’t seem fair. “I bought this lingerie for you...but if you’re going to take someone else home, then I’m sure someone else might be interested. There’s this cute CIA analyst I met the other day, maybe he likes the colour red?”

Eve couldn’t finish teasing him because she found herself in the middle of a searing kiss that made her knees go weak. Javíer’s tongue invaded her mouth and Eve moaned as she tasted him and tried to keep up with his greedy lips.

“You’re the one that doesn’t play fair.” Eve muttered against his mouth before she nibbled on his bottom lip.

“I did tell you to go inside, didn’t I.”

Eve wasted another ten minutes making out with Javíer in the hallway. She just couldn’t help it. But when he tried to slip his hand down the front of her jeans, she had to pull away because there was no way that could fully indulge in each other and still make it to the embassy dinner on time. But it didn’t help that the devil sitting on her shoulder was encouraging her to let him have his way with her.

Javíer went back to his apartment and considered finishing himself off before getting dressed. His hand was a poor substitute for Eve, but it would have to do. But just as he was about to unzip his jeans, he heard music coming from Eve’s apartment that made him shake his head and smile to himself. He didn’t figure her for the gangster rap type, but Tupac was definitely playing in her living room.

Not exactly the soundtrack to masterbate to. But he pictured her dancing around in her underwear, and squeezed his cock over his jeans. He had to get his head in the game and get this stupid dinner out of the way. It was rare that he looked forward to something other than his job, but he realized that he hadn’t thought about Feistl and Van Ness all day. 

Soon he heard Biggie’s ‘Big Poppa’ through their adjoining wall and swayed to the music as he poured himself a glass of whiskey and took a long sip before he jumped in his shower. As the hot water hit him, Javí couldn’t help but be reminded of all that had happened between him and Eve in her shower. Not only was he pretty sure that he had fallen in love with her there. He had also trusted her with info that could end his career or possibly land him in jail if she ever decided to sell him out.

A cynical part of him tried to convince himself to reign it in and be more careful with her. But he couldn’t seem to convince himself to pull away like he had countless times before with other women. In fact, the more he thought about Eve and the day that they had shared, the more he couldn’t wait to see her and feel that way again.   
\----------

“Well, it’s nice to know that you’re not affected by the whole west coast - east coast beef.” Javí teased through his living room wall when the music stopped next door. 

“Not my beef.” Eve called out. “I love ‘em both. They’re usually the soundtrack I need to psych myself up to deal with my family. You ready?”

“I’ve been ready for awhile.” Javíer explained as he polished off his whiskey. “Just waiting for you, princesa.”

“Baby,…” Eve started, but Javí cut her off. 

“I’ll fall behind and let you walk in first.” Javí reassured her through the wall. Fuck, he was whipped, he cursed himself.

Eve knew better than to invite him over before they left. They would end up in bed and completely miss the event and that would surely tip her mother off. Or worse, it would send her mother out looking for her and that was the last thing she wanted.

And once Eve’s eyes landed on Javíer in the hallway wearing his tux, Eve knew that she had made the right call. Evident by the fact that she was completely dumbstruck by how handsome he looked and was ready to get on her knees and blow him there and then. He looked so dashing, it was as though he’d just stepped out of a movie. A part of her was sad that she wasn’t going to be on his arm that night; she wanted everyone to know that he belonged to her. 

“You look...you look.” Javíer started but he couldn’t come up with the right words as Eve locked her door behind her. She was wearing a fairly simple yet elegant floor length black dress that might have been considered boring if not for a black lace overlay detail. It formed a deep V over the top of the conservative neckline and continued down as sleeves down her arms. It was classic and refined, but had an edge to it that was perfectly Eve. “Wow.”

“Why thank you.” Eve smiled as she gave him a cute curtsy. “Even better than me wearing your clothes?”

“It’s a very close tie.” Javí chuckled, his eyes still drinking her in from head to toe as he licked his lips. She had more makeup on than she usually wore but Javíer was mesmerized by how the dark smokey eyeliner around her eyes made her already beautiful blue eyes more magnetic. What the hell was a woman like Eve doing with a man like him? He felt as though he were playing dress up in his rented tuxedo and she looked as though should be on the cover of a magazine.

“Well, you’re very ‘wow,’ too.” Eve blushed. “You clean up nicely, Peña.”

“Thanks.” Javí shyly smiled his boyish grin that made Eve’s heart ache in her chest in such a good way. But then he pulled at his collar and Eve dropped her shoulders and frowned.

“Fuckin’ Stoddard.” Eve muttered under her breath as she took a better look at Javíer’s collar.

“Stoddard?” Javí’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise. “What did he do now?”

“Well, if it was me renting your tux,” Eve explained. “I would have given you another good half inch on your collar. I know how much you hate feeling strangled by your clothes. That neck of yours can’t be contained.”

“My neck, huh?” he grinned as she fussed with his collar.

“Ummm.” Eve leaned in and left a kiss on ‘her spot’ along his jaw. He smelled so good. Eve had no idea how she was going to convince her mother that there was nothing going on between them. They hadn’t even made it to the main hall yet, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

“Let’s skip it, baby.” Javí suggested against her when they got to the building housing the event, only half teasing. “As good as you look in that dress, I really think it would look a lot better on my floor.”

“Tempting.” Eve giggled as she finally let go of his arm and looked around to see if anyone was watching them. “Where were you when I got dragged to these things on a weekly basis? I don’t think it ever really occurred to me what a bad boy you are, Peña.” 

“Boy?” Javí challenged with a playful scoff.

“Calling you a ‘bad man’ has a totally different connotation.” Eve pointed out, making a fun clicking sound from the side of her mouth as if she were calling a horse over. 

He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, conceding the point. Here goes nothing, Javíer thought to himself as the two of them split up.

This wasn’t the first embassy event that Javíer had attended, but this was the first one that Ambassador Crosby seemed to give a shit about. Javíer's eyes went wide as he entered the hall and took in his surroundings. The normally luxurious hall had been expertly decorated within an inch of its life and Javí hardly recognized it.

“Jelly bean!” Javíer spun around when he heard his boss’s voice call out behind him.

Javíer watched in horror as Ambassador Crosby greeted Eve with a warm hug as if he had known her for years. Little did Javíer know, that was exactly the case.

“Uncle Artie.” Eve smiled as she tried to shush him when more people crowded around to greet her, as well and kiss her ass.

“I know, I know.” Ambassador Crosby laughed. “You’re hardly the little girl that ran around the capital stealing jelly beans from people’s offices.”

“You’ll always be our jelly bean.” Senator Martin warmly smiled as he came up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Agent Peña,” Martin greeted him and called him over. “Have you met our jelly bean? I mean, Evelyn.”

“Agent Peña is actually my boss.” Eve informed him as Crosby tried to gauge Javíer’s reaction to all of the attention being given to his personal secretary. “So let's cool it with all the jelly bean talk, okay. I’d still like to be taken somewhat seriously back at the office.”

The two older men shared a laugh, but not Javíer. He waited for the two of them to get pulled into another conversation before he came up to Eve and discreetly whispered in her ear. “Uncle Artie?”

“Arthur Crosby is my godfather.” Eve whispered back as she looked out into the hall and tried to find her mother. “Come on, you really didn’t know?”

\--------

[Inspo for Eve's dress](https://64.media.tumblr.com/fd44a42167660682eafe5c23b1118667/7af793400fb63526-b4/s640x960/0caa2aa42a7d4b18ea743d1f050732dc93151470.jpg)

  
  
  
  
  



	16. Plus One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javíer and Eve attend the big embassy function and get an opportunity to see sides of each other that they don’t like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: This is the first time that I’ve tried to approach anything to do with race & racism and I’m worried that I didn’t do it justice. I’m open to any critic (good or bad) so that I can learn and possibly do better in the future. Nothing but love and respect, guys! Thanks for reading.

Javí sulked in the back of the embassy ballroom and spied on Eve as she worked the room at the dinner. He’d have to admit, there was a part of him that had enjoyed flirting with the danger of bedding a Senator’s daughter. There was a forbidden quality to it that had caught his attention early on. But seeing this side to her was no fun at all. What the hell was he thinking getting involved with a woman like her?

A few hours ago he had felt closer to that woman than anyone else on the planet. Now, it was almost as if he were watching a stranger. Her posture was different and the polite laughs that she would give all of these fancy people didn’t have the same boisterous joyful quality that they had when she found something genuinely funny. 

But what did he know? The more Javí took advantage of the free booze, the more he wondered if he was witnessing Eve’s true nature. Maybe the funny, loveable, down to earth woman that he had grown to care about didn’t even exist. Eve fit in so well in this environment. Everyone was dressed to nines in their uncomfortable shoes and were practically waiting in line to kiss her ass. Here among the rich elites, Eve was high up on a pedestal and it had him wondering if she was just slumming it when she spent time with him. 

As the night went on, that theory ate away at his ego until he felt completely worthless. Of course Eve couldn’t be serious about him. After everything that she had been through with her ex, she had to be simply playing around and slumming it in Colombia with him.There was no way that a woman like her could see a future with a man like him. What could he possibly hope to offer her?

Ever since Eve had kissed him in his apartment, being with her had filled Javíer with such a sense of pride. Now, as he watched her, Javí couldn’t help but feel small and insignificant. He hated that feeling with a burning passion and foolishly hoped that he could drink away how it felt to realize that he could never be the kind of man that deserved her.

Javíer’s eyes stalked her as she was introduced to various people. Even President Samper appeared to be enamoured with her when he made his brief visit. And wouldn’t you know, Eve didn’t even break a sweat and had him laughing and eating out of the palm of his hand in record time. At least that's what it looked like from Javíer’s lonely place across the room. 

He was so lost in his bitter thoughts that he didn’t even notice a few young pretty servers who tried their hardest to get his attention and cheer him up. Little did they know, the only person that stood a chance of making him smile was busy captivating every single high ranking member of the embassy. 

There was a charm and elegance to Evelyn Capshaw that made it seem as though she were gliding across the ballroom. Javí had to wonder how much of what he was watching was an act, because if it was fake, he found it disturbing how well Eve could play her role. 

Javíer hated being at odds with her. How could she not tell him that Ambassador Crosby was her fucking godfather? He worked with him every single day and he never had a clue that they were practically family. And what was all of that creepy shit that Crosby had said back when he was trying to get her transferred. He hardly sounded like someone she’d lovingly refer to as “Uncle Artie.” Crosby acted as though he had the hots for her.

 _“I don’t even know if she can type.”_ Javíer recalled what the ambassador had quipped when he asked if she could even speak Spanish. Bullshit. Eve Capshaw had been a best selling writer since she was 22. Crosby had to have known that.

None of this made any sense and Javíer had begun thinking that maybe her sneaky underhanded ways weren’t as far behind her as she’d have him believe. Her betrayal of omission had Javíer drinking a lot more than he would have otherwise and he found himself sinking further down his bitter rabbit hole. But to everyone else, he just looked like his regular whiskey loving antisocial self.

The longer the night dragged on the harder it was for him to shake the feeling that he was being played. The last time that he got played led to complete and utter disaster and people he cared about got killed. Javíer was in no mood to be social and kept to himself and waited for an acceptable time to duck out early. For as much as he couldn’t take his eyes off her, he needed to get away. Only Javíer just couldn’t decide if he was ready to run away from her yet.

“There you are!” Eve came up from behind him, finally smiling her first genuine smile all evening. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Oh, look at those pastries. Is that cheesecake? I can’t wait to dive in.” Eve added with an over the top evil laugh.

“Happy to see me or the dessert table?” Javí smirked, even now he couldn’t believe how beautiful she was. He was such a sucker.

“A little bit of both, honestly.” Eve giggled, missing the harsh judgemental look in Javíer’s eyes. “When I was a kid I never got to eat any of this stuff. My mother would make me play the piano during dessert to keep me from stuffing my face. She always liked to remind me that ballerina’s don’t get to carry around any extra weight. Nice, huh?”

“You’re kidding.”

“You have no idea.” Eve playfully groaned as she scanned the different platters of colourful pastries. “The injuries and the weight shaming wasn’t even the worst part of dancing. I almost had a breast reduction when I was 15.”

“What the fuck?” Javíer mumbled as he looked around to make sure that no one was watching the two of them together. “Are you serious?”

“You don’t see a lot of larger chested ballerinas out there, do you? And poor 15 year old me was a full C cup and still growing.” Eve smirked, enjoying the fact that Javíer’s eyes were focused on her ample chest. “My instructors made me feel terrible about my curves. I had to tape my boobs down all the time. I loved dancing, but it was a real mind fuck. No kid should go through that.”

“Trust those people to make your tits out to be some kind of curse.” Javíer couldn’t help but jest. “Fucking idiots.”

“My brother Ben would have liked you.” Eve praised with certainty, careful not to look directly at Javíer so people thought she was just looking at the desserts. “He came home when heard about what had been happening. He was so pissed; and this was a guy that never got mad at anything. But he had some very loud words with our parents, threw some of my clothes in a bag and kidnapped me before I made that huge mistake.”

“He kidnapped you?” Javí shook his head as he polished off his drink. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand your family.” 

“Imagine how I feel.” Eve affirmed with a chuckle. It was so nice to find Javíer and just be herself for a moment or two, she was exhausted. “Ben just wanted me to get me away from my parents and my instructors before I made my decision. But I was a minor. I never should have been put in that position in the first place.”

“I guess kidnapping your kid sister to keep her from having a ridiculous plastic surgery would be for a good cause.” Javíer conceded. He probably would have done the same thing if his little sister was in that situation.  
  
“But maybe kidnap is too lofty a term.” Eve shyly smiled as she thought of her brother. “Let’s just say I never made it to my appointment and ended up at a resort in Cabo with him instead. Ben and I snorkelled and ate all the junk food we could get our hands on. He convinced me to live for myself and taught me that it’s okay to say no to our parents...looking back, that was probably the best week of my life. Gosh, I really miss him.”

Javíer left her side to grab another drink at the nearest mini bar only a few feet away. But he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her and watched as she looked out towards the busy hall, seemingly lost in her good memories of her big brother. This was the woman that he was falling in love with. Not the perfect socialite networking and working the room. He added a glass of red wine to his order as he observed her efforts to try and lay back and not be the centre of attention.

As much as he had practically started drooling when he first saw her in her gown, Javí was starting to like her better in the blue jeans that she had worn during their lunch date. As gorgeous as she looked at the moment, Javíer longed for her natural beauty and authentic smile. If Eve was playing him, she was doing a fantastic job because he had all but forgotten that he was upset with her for not telling him about Crosby.

“What’s wrong, Jav?” Eve quietly asked when he came back to her side, effectively snapping him out of thoughts. “You look grumpier then normal.” She added as he handed her the wine she had grown to like. She loved that he remembered and didn’t assume that she’d just drink what he was having like so many men before him had. 

“Jelly bean?”

“Oh, that.” Eve puffed out a laugh before she took a sip of her wine, humming when the liquid hit her tongue. “Yeah, cause that’s not embarrassing at all. I guess I’ve always had a sweet tooth and the nickname stuck.”

“And Uncle Artie?” Javíer asked as he narrowed his eyes at her and searched her eyes for any signs of duplicity. His guard was up because he couldn’t let himself get played again. It didn’t matter how much he cared about her. He had already gotten carried away and told her more than he should have in her shower. Now he was treating her more as a suspect than a girlfriend, and the role change gnawed at him in a way that surprised him.

“I really thought you already knew.” Eve admitted with a pained expression. When Javíer didn’t look impressed with her answer, Eve chewed on her bottom lip and pulled him into the nearest hallway so they could be alone. “Look,” Eve started, looking around and finding groups of people already engaged in their own private conversations. “I should have made sure you already knew. I’m just so used to people knowing everything about me before I even walk into a room. I didn’t want to bring it up and make it sound like I was bragging or anything.”

“I work with the man, Eve.” Javí admonished through his teeth. Finally able to unleash some of the anger that he’d been trying to hide ever since he found out. “I see him every damn day. I went to him and tried to get you transferred for Christ sake!”

“You did?” Eve nearly laughed, her bright blue eyes were full of mischief and Javíer had a hard time staying mad at her. Even now, she had a way about her that broke down all of his defences. “I tried to get transferred too. But Colleen could only find a spot for me in Bolivia, so I passed.” 

“How the fuck are we supposed to be _‘strong’,_ if you pull shit like this?” Javíer fumed, ready to storm out and call it a night. He began pacing around her, shifting his weight from foot to foot, ready to blow. He was so angry and there was nowhere for that anger to go at the moment so he crossed his arms across his chest and tried to breath his way through the frustration.

“You’re...you’re right.” Eve stammered, trying to figure out how to make it right. “I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve to find out like that.”

“What else are you keeping from me, huh?” Javí snapped. He was getting a bit out of control and starting to feel a little dizzy. He was beginning to regret the last glass of whiskey he had. “Any more surprises?”

“Ummm, probably.” Eve thought for a moment and tried not to cry. She felt terrible that Javíer was mad at her. Usually Eve had to make an effort to care about what men thought of her, but Javíer’s opinion meant the world to her. “Well, Dan was the guy I had my blind date with.”

“Who the fuck is Dan?”

“Daniel Van Ness.” Eve clarified as she discreetly took his hand, only to have him shake out of her grasp. His rejection stung, but Eve couldn’t figure out if he was _that_ mad at her or just being overly cautious. But she really wished that she could touch him right now. “You know, the guy you sent to Cali with Feistl.”

“Shh.” Javí warned, looking around to make sure that no one overheard her. “Really? Shit, I had no idea.”

“You’re lucky you’re cute, Jav.” Eve tried to tease him to lighten the mood. “You sent half of my friends away. There’s better ways to keep me all to yourself.”

“I didn’t-”

“I know, I’m just teasing.” Eve sweetly smiled, admiring how good Javí looked in his tux, even if he was cross with her. “Chris really wanted this, he’s wanted this assignment since he got here.”

“And, Dan is it?” Javí asked as he pulled on his collar to try and make it fit better. His heated mood was making everything feel uncomfortable. “Did Dan want it, too?”

“Not exactly.” Eve quietly informed him with a smirk. “But they’re good agents, Jav.”

“I hope so.”

“Please don’t go all caveman with Dan, okay.” Eve ordered when Javíer didn’t seem any happier. “He’s just a friend. I paid the bill and he didn’t even kiss me goodnight.”

“He also didn’t make sure that you got home okay.” Javíer sharply reminded her, hating that he still felt strangled by his bowtie. “What else? Maybe lies of omission don’t mean so much to you. I gotta assume that’s not all you’re keeping from me.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“After what you used to do for a living, I guess this isn’t the worst lie you’ve told.” Javí scolded, knowing full well that it was a cheap shot. “I probably got off easy, didn’t I?”

“That’s not fair, Javí.” Eve frowned as she blinked away her tears. This was far worse than just a bad mood and Eve was officially scared that he was going to break up with her. “I’m always honest with you...you’re the only person that I’m myself with. I’ll tell you anything that you want to know. Just ask. I’m not keeping things from you on purpose. Does...does him being my godfather change things for you? Are we...are we okay?”

Javíer had had too much to drink and it was clouding his judgement. But the sadness in Eve’s blue eyes was almost enough to sober him up for a second. He was about to apologize to her, but the cocktail hour was coming to a close and people were being encouraged to take their seats for dinner and speeches. It was then, that a stunning older woman came up to Eve in the hallway and linked her arm with hers.

“Hello, my dear.” The woman beamed as she kissed Eve’s cheek. “Don’t you look lovely tonight.”

Eve wasn’t the only woman that looked lovely that evening. Javí couldn't get over the family resemblance between the two Capshaw women. He was speechless and couldn’t help but feel as though he were getting a glimpse of what Eve would like in the future. And he really liked what he was seeing. 

“Thank you, mother.” Eve tightly smiled, trying to hide her nerves and swallow down the hard lump that had formed in her throat after Javí’s cold words. “I’d like you to meet Agent Peña, my boss.”

“Your reputation precedes you, Agent Peña.” Elizabeth Capshaw nodded in his direction as she looked him up and down before she shook his hand. “Fine work with Escobar.” 

“Thank you, ma’am.” Javíer nodded, swiftly going back into work mode.

“Thanks to you and your partner,” Elizabeth began as Crosby finished laughing with another group of men at the very end of the hallway and joined Eve’s mother’s side to escort her back in. “Colombia just might become a major political player. Needless to say, America can’t do business with a pseudo narco democracy.” 

“Let’s not talk shop tonight.” Eve suggested, knowing how much Javí hated talking about Escobar. Eve looked to Javíer who seemed to soften towards her and thank her with his eyes.

“I trust that you’re taking good care of my daughter.” Elizabeth ignored her daughter’s request as she picked at some invisible lint on Eve’s shoulder. “I know that she can be a handful from time to time.”

“Not at all, ma’am.” Javíer smiled as he tried to stand up straighter and pretend to be sober. “Evelyn has been a great addition to the office.” 

“Arthur here,” Elizabeth started to explain as she took Crosby’s arm with her free hand. It was then that Javíer realized that the ambassador hadn’t let Eve’s mother out of his sight all evening. His investigative mind couldn’t help but find that curious. “He was telling me how you tried to get Evelyn transferred when she first started.”

“Just not used to the perks of the job.” Javíer gave her a charming smile before he turned to Crosby. “Isn’t that right, sir.” 

“About that.” Crosby started to explain as the two women left arm in arm to take their seats and the two men fell back a bit. “She’d just got here and I simply wanted to see your reaction. It was a test and you’ll be pleased to know that you passed with flying colours, Javíer. Evelyn has been through a lot lately and it’s my job to look out for her. Trusting you with my goddaughter wasn’t easy, but when you didn’t take the bait, I figured she was safe enough. It did help that you thought she was Stechner’s spy, though.” He added with a loud laugh. 

So that’s what all of that _‘easy on the eyes’_ talk was all about, Javíer realized as he faked his own laugh to mask his anger. He was pissed off that Crosby had tried to play him like that. But since he was secretly fucking his precious goddaughter, Javíer decided to let it slide. 

With the mood that Javíer was in, Eve was nervous about leaving him alone with her godfather. Eve looked over her shoulder just in time to catch Javíer’s attempts to charm Crosby with a smile and laugh that she knew wasn’t authentic at all. Javíer was a big boy and she was confident that she had it covered. But still, Eve needed this night to end quickly so she could have some time alone with him. She hated that he was upset with her and wanted to make it up to him. 

\---------

Even though the great Javíer Peña was considered a hero in these circles, his “accomplishments” weren’t grand enough for him to be seated at the main table with Eve, her mother, Ambassador Crosby, and the two visiting American senators. Instead, Javí had to eat with other members of the state department and listen to the boring speeches with Stechner of all people. Javíer hardly recognized his old nemesis in a tux, but the two of them shared a sympathetic nod as they took their seats. The two of them couldn’t have looked more out of place at their table if they had tried.

Javíer and Stechner tolerated each other’s presence and politely clapped when Eve’s mother accepted some kind of bullshit state department award and people gave boring speeches about the future of the relationship between Colombia and the United States. 

The food wasn’t half bad, but it was hard for Javí to bite his tongue when the men at his table decided to act like teenagers and gossip about Luke Capshaw’s upcoming election (Eve’s younger brother) and the scandal that landed Eve in the country. But when their observations became more crass (namely one of them commenting on how she appeared to have _“bounced back quickly”_ after her tragedy) Javíer nearly cracked the glass he was holding.

“Have you had a chance to meet Mr. Holden?” One middle aged blowhard asked another self entitled prick. Javíer didn’t bother remembering their real names. “Jack’s been so dignified about the whole thing. If I had been in his shoes I don’t think I’d be handing myself as well as he has.”

“Yes, I had the pleasure to meet young Jack when him and his father attended a fundraiser in the Hamptons.” Mr Self Entitled Prick answered with a self satisfied smirk. 

“I get that a woman has the right to choose, but -” Mr. Blowhard added but showed enough class to stop himself. “Young Mr. Holden has been so gracious about the whole thing, hasn’t he.” Mr. Blowhard agreed as he stuffed a piece of steak in his mouth. “Returning all of the wedding presents with a personal note was a nice touch. I haven’t heard anything from the Capshaws.”

“He’ll do well for himself.” Mr. Self Entitled Prick added as he buttered his bread. “I wager that this was merely a bump in the road for him. But he dodged a bullet, if I say so myself. Remember, he didn’t have to do the right thing in the first place. So sad to have her go behind his back like that. Luke is lucky that his sister isn’t planning on campaigning with him. I usually only have good things to say about the Capshaw children, but-” 

“But what, sir?” Stechner spoke up after he wiped his mouth with his napkin and threw it down on his plate. Confusing the hell out of Javíer. “After the mess that your son found himself in -”

“Now, Mr. Stechner, is it?” Mr. Prick tried to stop him, but Stechner was fuming under his cool exterior and spoke louder over top of him.

“With the IRS, was it? And then there’s that nasty business of the charity that your daughter defunded. You have me curious. What could you possibly have to say about Evelyn? Seeing as that, between the two of you, none of your children are even currently employed, am I right?”

“Uhh.” The man cleared his throat and tried to answer but Stechner wasn’t finished putting him in his place. 

“At least Evelyn is here, serving her country.” Stechner added with ice in his voice. “I’d say that is an honorable use of her time, wouldn’t you? But if you disagree, then maybe we can go over to her table and you can share all of your thoughts with her mother; your boss. Oh, look at that, it appears that Mrs. Capshaw is busy with Ambassador Crosby right now. But maybe he’d like to hear your thoughts on his goddaughter, as well?”

“I think you misunderstood.” The prick tried to backpedal. “I was merely commenting on the young man’s manners.”

“As you gossip like a pair of school girls.” Javíer couldn’t help but add before he threw his napkin down on the table and left to grab himself another whiskey; not that he needed any more to drink. 

\------------

“Are we okay?”

Javíer had just found himself a quiet office right off the ballroom to smoke and drown his sorrows in. But quickly spun around when he found that he wasn’t alone for long.

“Are you following me now?” Javíer asked as he puffed out a sad laugh.

“Yes. But you didn’t answer me. Are we okay?” Eve stood her ground and repeated her question. “Are _you_ okay?”

“Did anyone see you leave?” Javí asked as he put out his cigarette and placed his drink down on the desk before he headed to lock the door behind her. Careful to walk around her and not touch her the way that she had expected him to.

“Fucking answer me.” Eve cursed, trying to keep her voice down. Her heart was racing and she needed to get to the bottom of this before they got caught. “Please, Jav.”

“Evelyn.” 

“Don’t fucking call me that!” Eve ordered through her teeth. “Not you.” She was fuming until she noticed that something was more off with him than usual. “Are you drunk?”

“I didn’t come here for this, princess.” Javi muttered out the American pronunciation but instantly regretted it. _“...fuck.”_ Javí cursed as he ran his hand down his face and pulled at his collar again. “Yes, okay I might be a little drunk.”

“Why?” Eve asked even though she had a pretty good idea why. If she could have gotten away with it, she’d happily drink her way through events like this.

“Who are you?” Javí quietly asked as he looked at her with the saddest brown eyes. “I mean it, Eve. Who the fuck are you? You come into my life and turn everything upside down. But I have no idea who you really are.”

“I’m yours.” Eve whispered, knowing that wasn’t the answer that he was looking for. “What is going on with you? You promised not to lie to me.”

“You don’t want to know the shit that’s going on in my head.” Javí warned. “Trust me.”

“No!” Eve snapped, pointing her finger in Javíer’s face even when her harsh reaction caused him to wince. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to tell me that you’ll be honest with me, only a few hours ago, and then pull this shit now. It’s not fair!”

“Do you have any idea how crazy it is to watch you out there?” Javí blurted out, trying not to slur his words. “I always thought that you had more than one side to you. But this...this is too much. You had Samper practically eating out of the palm of your hand! I didn’t recognize you at all. Where did you go, huh? It’s like you disappeared.”

“I’m right here, you idiot!” Eve exclaimed. “This isn’t my first stupid boring formal dinner. I already told you that I put on a mask and become the person that I’m expected to be. This is a work thing. But you’re right, I’m not Eve here. I’m not your Eve. I’m Evelyn Capshaw, Elizabeth Capshaw’s plus one. And trust me, I hate her too.”

“I don’t know what you want to hear…” Javí sighed as he turned his back to her. “Maybe I can’t do this whole boyfriend thing.”

“So that’s it?” Eve whimpered to his back. “We’re just...done. Just like that? All because I shook a few hands and laughed at people’s stupid jokes. I saw you with Crosby, you were doing the same fucking thing! It’s just work. You don’t see me freaking out and wondering who you are. ”

“Don’t you mean _‘Uncle Artie?’”_ Javíer scoffed. 

“Jesus, Javí.” Eve whined, Javí’s wall was up and Eve felt cold on the other side of it. “Is this all that it takes for you to walk away? I thought we were better than this.”

Eve held her breath as she waited for him to answer her. But she was crushed and couldn’t believe that this was happening. She had so much hope for the two of them.

“I just want Eve back.” Javí finally admitted, but he still couldn’t look at her and a part of him felt childish for feeling the way that he did. Why did he drink so much? “My Eve.” Javí corrected himself. “I just want _my_ Eve back.”

“I’m right here, baby.” Eve trembled as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She nearly sobbed when he took her hands at his tummy in his large hand and gave her a comforting squeeze. His thumb moved back and forth like a little windshield wiper against her wrist and she started to breath properly again. “I’m still yours.” 

“I know.” Javí sighed. What the fuck was he doing. She had warned him about all of this superficial nonsense before, but seeing it up close messed with him like nothing else. He had to sober up before he lost the most important thing in the world to him.

“Do you?” Eve asked against his back. His body was warm and being so close to him made her feel at home for the first time that evening. It sucked to think that she might lose such a perfect feeling. But she really only had herself to blame. Javíer Peña had a code, and Eve feared that because of her past, she’d never be able to live up to his standards. “After everything that I told you, can you even trust me. Or are you always going to wonder if I have some kind of ulterior motive?”

“I trust you.” Javí answered honestly as he squeezed her hands and kept her arms around his waist. Now that his Eve was back, Javí’s drunk mind realized that there were very few people on the planet that he trusted as much as he trusted her. “Just seeing you out there, it was like you were in your element. You were so good. I just couldn’t make sense of it. Maybe you were right, maybe I am still processing everything. I just got all fucked up...I’m sorry.”

“That wasn’t my element.” Eve reassured him, with her bottom lip shaking. “I can’t lose you, Javíer. I just found you.”

“Shh, princesa.” Javíer whispered as he turned around in her arms and cupped her sad beautiful face in between his hands. “I’m so sorry, baby. Don’t cry. Not because of me.”

“I care about you.” Eve professed as she nuzzled her face against his palm and savoured the warmth of his large calloused hand against her cheek. “But if this is too much for you...if _Elizabeth Capshaw’s plus one_ is too much for you, then we should just end things right now before we get in too deep. Because I can’t hurt you, Javí. I already live with so much...but I couldn't live with that.” 

“Losing you would hurt a hell of a lot more, Eve.” Javí confessed, the whiskey flowing through his veins made it easier to act like an idiot, but it also made it easier to be honest with her. “You did tell me what to expect but I was still taken off guard. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, cariño.”

Javíer was about to kiss her when someone started to twist the doorknob of the office. Cursing and mumbling behind the door when they found it locked and trying it again. 

“It’s open.” Eve thought on her feet and lied as she called out to whoever was trying to get in. Eve tried to fix her makeup as she walked over to open the door and Javíer readjusted his jacket and bowtie; both trying to look as innocent as possible. “Oh sorry, I guess it got locked somehow.” Eve lied again as she tried to plaster a convincing smile on her face to continue the ruse.

Neither Javíer or Eve expected Ambassador Crosby or Eve’s mother to be the ones standing on the other side of the door. Or for the two of them to look so upset and flustered with each other.

“Uncle Artie...mom?” Eve looked to both of them for answers since they both looked guilty of something.

“There you are, dear.” Elizabeth tried to smile, but Eve could see right through her and knew that something was wrong. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Eve could tell that her mother was lying and hadn’t been looking for her at all. But Eve had been too concerned with her mother’s lame excuses to notice the annoyed look on Crosby’s face. When Elizabeth decided to focus on her daughter, he all but rolled his eyes and Javíer caught his reaction clear as day. Something had been going on between him and Eve’s mother, and it was confusing as hell.

“Just making sure that Agent Peña doesn’t ruin his tux.” Eve lied again but her mother and Crosby weren’t paying enough attention to notice what a pathetic liar Eve was. “It’s a rental.”

“Arthur, why don’t you and Agent Peña go tend to Martin and Peterson.” Elizabeth suggested in order to get rid of the two men. “Make sure they don’t drink too much, they have a big day tomorrow.”

Javíer and Crosby took the hint and nodded to the two women on their way out. But Javí made sure to politely touch Eve’s back on his way out, swiping his thumb against the small of her back in a secret, yet familiar, way. He hated leaving without fixing things between him. 

He sucked at relationships but knew enough to know that he shouldn’t have taken his bullshit out on her. Two minutes alone with her had erased the majority of the doubts that had plagued him all evening. All he needed was a moment alone with the real Eve to set him straight. But deep down, Javí knew this subject would come up again in the future. If her family stayed in her life, how could it not?

“Wow.” Was all Elizabeth could say once she was alone with her daughter.

“Wow what, mother?” Eve groaned as she braced herself for something petty. 

“Agent Peña.” Elizabeth clarified with a cheeky smile. “He’s very wow, don’t cha think?”

“Are you drunk?” Eve laughed at her oversharing. Whenever her mother gave her the time of day she usually treated her as more of a girlfriend than her daughter. At times, Eve enjoyed it. But more time than not, all Eve wanted was a loving mother; not another friend. But as she grew up, Eve realized that her mother didn’t really have a lot of true friends in her life, so she put up with it for her mother’s sake.

“I might have had a little bit of champagne. So sue me.” Her mother admitted as she waved off her daughter’s concern. “But even stone cold sober, I could see that man coming a mile away. No wonder you’re in no hurry to come home. Is he single?”

“Better luck next time.” Eve advised as she evaded her mother’s watchful eye. “I’m pretty sure that he’s seeing someone.” 

“So?” Her mother shrugged. “I’ve been married for 47 years, and that’s never stopped me. What difference does that make? Wait, are you two?” Elizabeth started to imply that they might be romantically involved, but Eve looked away and rolled her eyes. Then, like mother like daughter, Eve waved off the question in the same manner her mother had just waved her off. 

“Mother, don’t start.” Eve groaned. “He’s my boss. Didn’t you raise me not to mix business with pleasure.”

“Now you decided to listen to me?” Elizabeth burst out laughing. “In his case, maybe you should ignore my advice.” Elizabeth mused out loud as she looked out of the office window. “A man like that could be just what the doctor ordered. If you don’t take advantage, I just might. That man is walking sex, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

“Gross.” Eve shuttered. Over the years Eve had become fully aware of what a sexual being her mother could be at times. Racking up more notches on her bedpost then most men she had known. It was disturbing to think that her mother could have ended up getting Javíer in bed in another time or place; since he had a very similar track record as her mother at these kind of events. “I work with the man. Could you please reign in your roaring libido before I puke. What ever happened to Tommy?”

“He’s going through one of his phases.” Elizabeth explained without any emotion in her voice. “It’s the same old song and dance. He wants more and wants me to leave your father again. His feelings can be so tedious at times. He knew from the start where things stood between the two of us. He shouldn’t be complaining.”

“That’s too bad.” Eve sighed. “I liked him. He was sweet and made you a little nicer.”

“But a man like.. _.Javíer_ , is it?” Elizabeth asked with the mischief twinkle in her eye that Eve had clearly inherited from her. “Well, a man like _Javíer_ isn’t going to hang on to your apron strings and beg for a white picket fence life with you.” Elizabeth sang out and made sure to roll the hell out of her r’s. “He didn’t even shave before he came here. Gotta love a bad boy that doesn’t give a shit.” Elizabeth laughed to herself as she rubbed her nose. “I looked into him a bit when you decided to work for him. They should have added more photographs with his file. I can only imagine what a man like that would be like in bed. Is he Colombian?”

“American.” Eve dryly answered, knowing full well that wasn’t what her mother was truly asking. “He’s from Texas, I think.”

“You know what I mean.” Her mother groaned at her evasive answer. “He’s not exactly white.”

“Jesus Christ.” Eve muttered under her breath. “He’s Mexican. What difference does that make?”

“Oh, get off your soapbox.” Elizabeth laughed at her daughter’s reaction. “How in the hell did I raise such a bleeding heart liberal?”

“Agent Peña is a good boss and the DEA has done a lot of great things here, mother.” Eve tried to keep her cool as her mother pressed her buttons. If the media could only hear the things that her parents have said behind closed doors. They should be ashamed of themselves.

“I know.” Elizabeth replied, completely missing the point. “But maybe a _spicy latin fling_ is just what you need to get the blood flowing again.” 

“Careful, mother.” Eve warned through her teeth without flinching. Eve refused to put up with her petty racist comments; not to mention the disrespect. But Eve was stunned when her mother just laughed at her even harder. As usual, Eve’s feelings were just a joke. “Are you fucking high?” Eve exclaimed once she noticed how different her mother was acting. 

“Not sure if you’ve heard, but Colombia does have the best blow, sweetheart.” Elizabeth stated as if it were common knowledge. “When in Rome.”

“For fucks sake, mother.” Eve fumed as she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “I could strangle you right now.”

“Oh, come on, Evelyn.” Elizabeth taunted through her giggles. “Live a little. Are you a narc now that you’re fetching coffee for one? You’ve been known to indulge in a little grass every now and again, I’m I right? Let your mother have her fun. Speaking of fun, what are the chances of me running into that boss of yours again before I leave? If I get lucky, maybe I’ll sneak in a good word for you and get you a raise or something.” Eve's mother kept giggling like a little kid. So much so that Eve would have actually found her adorable if she were speaking about anyone other than Javíer. “If you’re not going to take advantage of what’s right in front of you, then I should. I’d bet good money that he’s a downright savage between the sheets. Any takers? Double or nothing.”

“Were you and Uncle Artie fighting about something?” Eve tried to change the subject before her mother actually noticed how pissed off she was. The nerve of her for treating Javíer like a piece of meat. There was so much more to Javíer than the kind of man her mother was describing and the disrespect was really leaving a sour taste in her mouth. Eve was on the verge of either smacking her mother or vehemently defending him. But neither option wouldn’t serve to protect their secret relationship, so Eve bit her tongue for the greater good.

“Just another man that wants more than I’m willing to give him.” Elizabeth sighed. “Are you okay? And I want a real answer this time, Evelyn. Not more posturing like this morning.”

“Posturing?” Eve scoffed. “You think I’m just playing up the fact that my parents tried to sell me off? Rich, mother. Even you’re not that cynical. Go have another bump.”

“I understand that you’re upset.” Her mother started again, conceding that maybe she was wrong.

“I’m fine.” Eve blurted out. “Is that what you want to hear? Now you can jump on your plane and not worry your pretty little head about it.”

“I told you this morning, I didn’t know that it was that bad. I had no idea that your father threatened Josh.” Elizabeth admitted with a dark look in her eyes, finally getting serious for a moment. “I’ve had words with him. He knows that he went too far. With me, too, actually.”

“Bullshit.” Eve sneered. “You don’t get to say Josh’s name and act like you’re some kind of hero.”

“He’s my grandson.”

“And what good has that ever done him?” Eve countered as she racked her hands through her hair and started to pace the empty office. Between Javíer getting freaked out and her mother pushing her buttons, Eve wanted to scream. “Leave him alone. This has nothing to do with him. But to answer your question. No, I’m not fine. How could I be? I get that you’re here on business; coke and wanting to fuck my boss not withstanding.” Eve bitterly laughed. “But can’t you even see what’s right in front of you? I’m fucking broken, mother.”

“You’re a Capshaw.” Elizabeth reminded her as if her last name would be a successful pep talk.

“Yet you and dad wanted me to be a fucking Holden.” Eve muttered under her breath. “But you best believe that I’m slowly putting my pieces back together.”

“That’s my girl.” Elizabeth praised as if this were a sporting event and she was cheering Eve on. High or sober, Eve’s mother would never understand the seriousness of what her daughter was going through.

“Don’t get too excited, mother.” Eve snapped. “I have no idea what I’m going to look like when I’m done. You might not like what you see when I’m healed, but you don’t get a say. You don’t get to play the part of the loving doting mother. You had your chance to be my mom. _I needed you!_ And instead of helping me, you had your personal shopper find me overpriced wedding dresses.”

“Do you want me to apologize? Is that it.” Elizabeth answered as if she were speaking to a child.

“Would you even be sorry?” Eve nearly laughed. “Fuck, why do I even bother. Please go. I’m staying here for the time being, I’ll let you know, when or if, I change my mind and come home.”

“You’re not banished you know.” Elizabeth reminded her. “If you want to come home and fight the bullshit that the Holden’s are spreading around, I’ll stand with you. Those who matter know that you didn’t have an abortion. Your job is still waiting for you. You might still make partner.”

“Fuck that, I’m done. And I don’t care what they’re saying.” Eve admitted, but puffed out a sad laugh when her mother didn’t seem to believe her. “I mean it. I really don’t give a shit. All that I cared about was my baby and she’s gone. They can knock themselves out and paint as many scarlet letters on me that want to. Winning that stupid war with them will never bring her back.”

“I won’t let them destroy you.” Elizabeth stood up straighter and tried to sober up.

“Liar.” Eve looked her mother in the eye and refused to flinch or look away. “You mean that you won’t let them destroy _you._ You know, as well as I do, that you and dad would sell me out again in a heartbeat if it helped you climb up your precious ladder. I see you both clearly now. I won’t make that mistake again.”

“Evelyn.” Her mother cleared her throat. Between the champagne, the coke, and being called out, Elizabeth was starting to feel defeated. But hurting her mother was never Eve’s goal. All she’s ever wanted was for her mother to truly see her and to be proud of her for the right reasons. 

“Look, I’m taking care of myself.” Eve conceded. Someone had to be an adult and keep them from parting on bad terms, and as usual that role fell upon Eve. “I’m going to be okay. I’m sure I’ll forgive you and dad, eventually. Everything is still so fresh and I’m pissed. I don’t like feeling this way either.”

“I raised you to be strong.” Elizabeth praised her daughter. “You’ll get through this. If I can help…”

“You got me far away from DC.” Eve sadly smiled. “You’ve already helped. Just -“

“What? Tell me what I can do.” Her mother seemed so eager to help and it pulled on Eve’s heartstrings. She hated that her mother could still get under her skin like this but the little girl inside her heart would always want her mom.

“Stay away from Josh.” Eve begged, taking advantage of her mother’s rare maternal moment. “Let him live his life. He’s the best of us, mom, and I’d like to keep it that way. He’s such a good person. He reminds me so much of Ben...please, mom. It’s the right thing to do.” 

“He’s lucky to have you.” Elizabeth tightly smiled as she fixed her daughter’s hair, careful not to look her in the eye.

“That wasn’t a yes.” Eve pointed out, familiar with the semantic games that her parents were known to play. “Ben wouldn’t want him to be part of your world and you know it.”

“I’ll stay away.” Elizabeth huffed. “In the next six months, I’ll be stateside for two weeks tops. There’s no need to worry. Just focus on yourself, Eve. For what it’s worth...” Elizabeth suddenly couldn’t look her daughter in the eye. “I think that you would have an amazing mother.” 

Eve could barely speak after that, but hugged her mother goodbye and wished her safe travels. Something that she remembered doing hundreds of times as a child. Her head was spinning but knew that she had to find Javíer and get the hell out of there. She practically ran back into the hall searching for him, but her Uncle Artie caught up to her before she could find the man she was really looking for.

After enduring mindless small talk, where Arthur asked if she was enjoying Colombia, Eve thanked him again for the upright piano that he had surprised her with when she first moved into her embassy apartment. Then before she knew it, she got suckered into playing the huge grand piano in the back of the hall for her godfather’s guest during the dessert hour. And just like old times, Eve felt like a little kid being denied sweets all over again.

Javíer, on the other hand, had been trying to lay low and sober up after the tense conversation that he had had with Eve. But as soon as he heard the music in the hall abruptly end, and a piano begin to play, Javí rolled his eyes and headed to the nearest mini bar for another drink. He just hoped that the bartender didn’t notice how drunk he already was and refused to serve him.

Eve was very talented and played score after score from memory as only a handful of people gathered around to appreciate the entertainment that she was providing. Of course, Javíer was one of those people. He didn’t stand too close, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she played. As her next door neighbour, Javí had heard her play the piano countless times. But this was his first time he’d been able to watch her as she played and he was not prepared to find her so completely and utterly beautiful.

As he allowed himself to be cast under her spell, Javí could feel a pair of eyes on him and turned to see Stechner a few feet away watching him watch Eve. Something wasn’t right, but Javíer was too drunk to figure out what his deal was, or why he defended Eve during dinner. Instead, Javíer glanced around the rest of the room, disgusted with all of the elites as they stuffed their faces with various pastries; barely noticing the beautiful music that Eve was providing them with.

Javí just wanted the night to be over so that he could have some time alone with Eve and appreciate her the way she deserved to be appreciated. He wanted to try to make up for his drunken outburst in some way. Then a plan hit him and he ducked away just as Stechner was about to come over and say something to him.

\------------------

“You might wanna slow down on those.” Eve advised as she came up from behind Javí as he was ordering his last drink from the bar.

“And why is that?” Javí answered as he tried not to look at her and tip people off. But he was too drunk to keep up the facade and kept smiling at her like a shy teenaged idiot.

“You’re gunna need to have your wits about you since my mother, apparently, has the hots for you.” Eve dryly informed him as he choked on his whiskey. “I guess we both have the same taste in men, who knew.”

“Ah, fuck.” Javí muttered, panic rushing through his veins. “Are you serious? What can I do?”

“I dunno.” Eve shrugged, nearly laughing at his reaction. “Take one for the team?”

“Take one for the team!” Javí exclaimed in a hushed voice. “Are you out of your mind? I’m on your team, dummy. That’s the whole point.”

“You’re on my team?” Eve clarified with a sweet smile now that he didn’t seem to be mad at her anymore. She loved this playful happy drunk side to him. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. Peña.”

“I also just called you a dummy, Capshaw.” Javí chuckled along with her. Fuck, she really was perfect for him, he mused; feeling a sense of pride stretch across his chest for making her smile. 

“I may be a dummy, but you’re dating a dummy.” Eve grinned with a sly wink. “Wanna get out of here?”

“Your place or mine, princesa?” Javíer hummed as he leaned against the bar and drank her in from head to toe as if this was the first time he’d seen her all dressed up. “Want me to leave first?”

“I don’t give a shit about any of that anymore, Javí.” Eve dropped her shoulders and sighed. “What’s the point? These fuckers are going to talk no matter what I do.”

“Hey, did something happen?”

“Other than my mother encouraging me to have, I quote, _‘a spicy latin fling?’_ with you.” Eve bitterly uttered. Hating the way the words felt coming out of her mouth.

“Fun.” Javí replied as he pursed his lips together. Eve wasn’t the first white woman that he had been involved with. Or the first one whose parents were lowkey intolerant of their daughter dating outside their race. Lorraine’s parents weren’t thrilled about him dating her either. They practically did cartwheels when he stood her up at the altar. He wasn’t sure why he expected anything different from Eve’s mother.  
  
“I could've strangled her.” Eve spat out as she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to reign in her rage. But anyone looking down their nose at Javíer and playing into stupid racist stereotypes infuriated the hell out of her. But she was even more ashamed that those views had come from her own family. There were so many things she wished she had said to her mother and considered finding her and giving her another piece of her mind. “After everything that you’ve done with your career, you deserve to be treated with more respect than that. Just when I thought she couldn’t disappoint me more; the nerve of that woman.”

“I’m sorry, Eve.” Javí sighed when he could see how upset she was over her mother. 

“Don’t you dare!” Eve vehemently cut him off before he even finished sighing in defeat. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re not some stupid exotic toy that I’m playing with that I’ll throw away when I’m done getting my rocks off!”

“Keep your voice down.” Javí nearly laughed at her as he guided her out of the hall, but not before he handed her a plate full of pastries and desserts off the bar that he had collected for her when she had been forced to play the piano. “Here, you earned these.” 

“You didn’t!” Eve beamed like a little kid as she followed him and let him lean on her to keep him walking straight. “You got me cheesecake, too! I could kiss you! Fuck it, I’m stealing this plate and taking it home as a souvenir.”

Javíer loved this playful side to Eve. But she was in a ‘fuck it all’ kind of mood that could easily blow up their secret relationship. So Javíer picked up the pace before she made good on her threat and made out with him in front of everyone. Especially, when his drunk mind was beginning to think it was a great idea, too.

But unbeknownst to them, someone did see the two of them together. 

Stechner stayed out of sight and carefully watched Javíer and Eve giggle their way out of the hall and out into the street together, leaned up against each other. Unfortunately for the new happy couple, Stechner was very good at putting two and two together and reading between the lines. They didn’t need to spell it out for the CIA agent to know what was going on between them; the two of them practically radiated joy as they left the embassy ballroom.

Javíer and Eve should have just made out like they had wanted to. Because they couldn’t hide anything from Stechner.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
